Over the last few years, I've developed an obsessions of sorts. I'm one of those people who falls hard for the things I love. I stalk, I over-indulge, I study, and I meditate on whatever it is that has my affection. Right now it's all about desserty goodness. If you haven't been hiding under a mat, you are probably well aware of the massive resurgence of an old time classic: traditional frozen yogurt. Frozen yogurt, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I'm sure we all remember TCBY. In fact, TCBY shops can still be found in lowly airports and random suburbs. For the most part though, frozen yogurt has long taken a back seat to front runners like Ben & Jerry's, Baskin & Robbins, and my once personal favorite: Cold Stone Creamery.

That is until some clever business people decided to take a risk and resurrect the traditional frozen yogurt concept store and hip it up a bit. The result? A lactose intolerant's dream! Everywhere you look, hip, trendy frozen yogurt joints are popping up and they are buzzing with young and old alike, all coming to eat this healthy desserty treat.

Among the front runners of this craze are two popular "fro-yo" companies called Pinkberry and Red Mango. I *heart* these places so much it's almost unhealthy. Ah ha, but since it's frozen yogurt, it actually IS healthy, so there! What makes frozen yogurt such a hit is the versatility every customer has in being able to custom build their order with different fruit and dry toppings.

While some restaurants might be suffering, business is booming in the frozen yogurt industry. Copycat shops and Red Mango or Pinkberry look alikes are popping up everywhere you look. Red Mango is a worldwide phenomena and is likely in most major US cities. Pinkberry, on the other hand, is only in California and New York. If you are ever in either of those states, I highly recommend running, not walking to the nearest location and partaking in the goodness that is Pinkberry. You will not be disappointed!

My favorite fro-yo flavors are:

• Pomegranete
  
• Green Tea

My favorite toppings are:

• Strawberries
  
• Mangoes
  
• Yogurt Chips
  
• Cap'n Crunch
  
• Fruity Pebbles

(but not all at the same time)

Posted in Good Eats , Novelties | Permanent Link

 

Somewhere along the line, I became a salad dressing snob. This pretty much rules out my chances of ever being a gangster, because according to some people, gangsters don't have favorite kinds of salad dressing. I'm not sure when I became the snob that I am, but I'm convinced there are few things in life more pretentious than being snobby about your salad dressing. Truly, it's obnoxious. To be completely honest, if I had to choose favorites, nothing beats good old olive oil and balsamic vinegar in my book. But since variety is the spice of life, the bevy of salad dressing options made available to us provide ample opportunity to liven up the average salad (and increase the caloric content).

I'm a huge fan of the Brianna's brand of all natural salad dressings. They don't claim to be organic, but they claim to be keep out a lot of the additives and preservatives common to many other dressings. When it comes to a lot of the more mainstream brands of salad dressing like Kraft, two thorough readings of the label leave me in wonder about if it's even real food. Much as I love me some traditional "Hidden Valley Ranch", I usually stay far away from the stuff.

When it comes to Brianna's brand though, I can't get enough. Their dressings are just fabulous. With names like Asiago Ceasar, Dijon Honey Mustard, and Ginger Mandarin it's hard to go wrong with any of their 12 choices of dressings. Right now I'm absolutely obsessed with the "Real French Vinaigrette," which has a tangy taste and is your traditional tart vinegarette (great on steamed artichokes), and their "Blush Wine Vinaigrette," which is more sweet and better suited to salads like Pear Gorgonzola, or anything with strawberries, dried cranberries, etc.

Yes I really did post about a brand of salad dressing. You will soon find out, I love to love food...even salad dressing. Deal. Now run, don't walk to your nearest grocery store and grab yourself a bottle.

Posted in Good Eats , My Favorite Things , Raves | Permanent Link | Comments { 626 }