Party Time Complete With PB And Cupcakes

  

True to form, Zelda was on the hunt for Peanut Butter once again. Now that Twisted Cinnamon Churro has officially left all of the area Menchie’s locations, I’m no longer torn between whether to track down Churro or PB. Of course, there is still the debate of either having PB or going to Yogurtland which doesn’t currently have PB. Today it was an easy choice because I was nowhere near Yogurtland and wasn’t planning to make the long journey north, so Peanut Butter won hands down. Since yesterday’s adventure took me to Menchie’s at Tacoma Mall for Peanut Buttercup, I decided to head over to Menchie’s at Capital Mall for Creamy Peanut Butter. The driving force is always PB fro-yo, but there was an ulterior motive today as well. Today is the manager’s birthday, and you know how Zelda likes to bring in treats on occasion to some of her favorite shops. There’s no way I was going to miss this opportunity! After picking up a few of his favorites to take with me, it was treat time for everybody!

The shop had a half dozen customers when I arrived, so I refrained from singing “Happy Birthday” as I entered although I did make sure to announce it rather loudly so that everyone would know there was a birthday being celebrated. There’s no shame in my game! It put a big smile on the manager’s face, and I know he was tickled that I came in on his special day. He was really excited when he saw that I had some of his favorite desserts, too. Birthdays are made to be celebrated, right? And that’s just what we did. My dessert of choice was PB, of course. Cupcakes are always scrumptious, but just give me a cup of fro-yo! It’s a good thing I came today because the manager told me that they ran out a little sooner than expected and today will be the last day for Creamy Peanut Butter. If I had waited until tomorrow, I would have missed the PB train completely. It will be back in a few weeks, so I will be patiently waiting. We visited for a while and the shop cleared out, and then I couldn’t wait a second longer. The PB was tempting me! Aside from Creamy Peanut Butter, there was one other flavor I was interested in and it was I Dream Of Cookies ‘n’ Cream. I took a quick taste of both and then my cup was ready to be filled.

Creamy Peanut Butter and I Dream Of Cookies ‘n’ Cream formed a perfect union in my cup today. Creamy Peanut Butter was divided into two sections, and I Dream Of Cookies ‘n’ Cream landed right in the middle. After the flavors were in place, I was excited to step over to the toppings bar and pick out a few yummy morsels. Creamy Peanut Butter was paired with Hershey’s Special dark chocolate chips, and I Dream Of Cookies ‘n’ Cream saw a lovely accompaniment of crumbled Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. It wouldn’t be complete with two crucial ingredients: cookie dough bites and whipped cream. Both were added throughout, and after redeeming some of my Menchie’s Money I had another free dessert. Now that’s my type of celebration! Time to see how this creation tasted.

Creamy Peanut Butter was decadent and rich with the ideal texture. Another 10 on Zelda’s scale of PB perfection! I’m really on a roll this week as far as PB goes, so I hope I can keep up the momentum. I Dream Of Cookies ‘n’ Cream was amazing as well, and it was perfectly balanced. Sometimes it can be too heavy on the chocolate aspect, but not this time. Every bite was a delight and it blended well with Creamy Peanut Butter. I don’t think I could have asked for anything better and within moments my eyes started to glaze over; the PB coma was imminent. The only problem I was going to have now was being able to pull myself out of the chair and drive home. Somehow I managed, but only after a lengthy visit. As I made my way out, I wished the manager a happy birthday one last time and told him I’d see him on the next round of PB. How ever will I make it until then? I guess I’ll be Tacoma bound for my PB fix in the meantime!

Until we eat again….

Z-

Live From Hawks Prairie, It’s……

  

   

What a difference a day makes! Yesterday it was hot and almost 90 degrees, but today it’s cold and rainy with temperatures in the upper 60s. It might not have been the sunniest of days, but it’s Fro-Yo Friday and that means the weekend is here! This calls for a celebration! The dreary weather didn’t exactly motivate me to drive too far which was unfortunate because there weren’t any exciting options in Thurston County. There was no Peanut Butter to be had, so the closest PB option was in Tacoma. Twisted Cinnamon Churro is gone once again and probably indefinitely, so even if I had wanted to travel to Tacoma I wouldn’t have been able to have it. It came down to two Menchie’s locations: Capital Mall and Hawks Prairie. Both had a mediocre lineup and each location had the same two flavors I was interested in. While both flavors are scrumptious, neither are flavors that I would drop everything in order to track them down. They’re basically what I would describe as bonus flavors or supplements. Since I knew I’d get the same two at either location, I ended up choosing Hawks Prairie for two reasons: it was more convenient, plus they offer better discounts. A delicious treat is even better when there’s a deal involved, so Zelda braved the rain and made the short drive to Menchie’s at Hawks Prairie.

I walked into a quiet shop and the team member welcomed me in. Would you believe that I was the first customer of the day? Rainy days are not a welcome sight for fro-yo shops, so even though the shop had been open for a while I still managed to be the first one to stop by. It’s funny how the weather plays such a big role in what people consume; most people that is. Zelda needs her daily fix rain, shine, sleet or snow! Believe me, I’ve driven on plenty of snowy/ice covered roads all in the name of fro-yo. I’m not going to let a little weather spoil my routine! After grabbing my favorite table and chatting with the team member, my sweet tooth called out. Since my last visit, the store has brought in Live From New York Cheesecake for the first time. I’ve had this flavor before at other locations, but the Hawks Prairie store has only been open for nine months and has never offered it. It’s not my favorite NY Cheesecake flavor, so I wasn’t but so excited to see it. I still took time to taste it since I haven’t had it in a while, and it actually wasn’t too bad day. I decided not to rule it out and then I moved on to the two flavors that I knew I was getting. Both flavors passed the quality check with flying colors, and then I was ready to fill my cup.

I Dream Of Cookies ‘n’ Cream was the first flavor to arrive, followed by Live From New York Cheesecake and Dreamy Dulce de Leche. I Dream Of Cookies ‘n’ Cream and Dreamy Dulce de Leche had equal shares of 40% of the cup while Live From New York Cheesecake was a modest divider at 20%. Now it was time to pick out a few sweet trinkets for each! I took a peek at the toppings bar to see if there had been any new additions, but the most recent one was Honey Nut Cheerios. I think this is probably the only fro-yo shop I’ve ever seen Cheerios at, and it’s definitely not something I’d choose. I’m all about the chocolate, not to mention that a PB topping is always a great choice. I Dream Of Cookies ‘n’ Cream was paired with crushed Nutter Butter cookies, Live From New York Cheesecake was the happy recipient of crumbled Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and Dreamy Dulce de Leche was given a few chunks of hardened chocolate from the bin of dipped fruit. Since this location doesn’t carry dark chocolate toppings, the chocolate that they use for dipping is a perfect choice. Sometimes you have to be creative when your topping of choice isn’t available, and I’ve learned to adapt. All of my creations are given two specific additions: cookie dough bites and whipped cream. I’m excited to say that after today’s discount, my treat was only $0.30. Nice work! Time to put the spoon to work!

Wow! I savored this cup a lot more than I thought I would, considering that there was no Peanut Butter fro-yo. I love it when a cup surprises me! I Dream Of Cookies ‘n’ Cream was rich and decadent and the crushed Nutter Butter cookies were a nice accent. I don’t always get Nutter Butters, but I definitely enjoy them when I do. Dreamy Dulce de Leche was rich and full of buttery caramel goodness, and every bite was like dancing on air. I never get tired of this flavor! I think the biggest surprise was Live From New York Cheesecake simply because I’ve never been a big fan of it and rarely choose it. It’s rather mild and doesn’t have the strongest cheesecake flavor, but it was very enjoyable today and such a nice match to the two dominant flavors. Before I knew it I was down to the last few bites in the cup and wondering where it all went. The good things in life never seem to last long enough, do they? That’s okay, though. I have a good feeling that there will be another sweet adventure waiting for me in just a matter of hours, and with any luck there just might be some Peanut Butter involved!

Until we eat again….

Z-

A Non-Seattle Thursday In Tacoma

   

Thursday’s events took a rather unexpected turn from what was originally planned, and it definitely affected today’s adventure. Like clockwork, Zelda typically spends every Thursday making the lengthy journey to the Emerald City which opens up a few extra fro-yo options. A good part of the time I’ll end up making a side trip to Yogurtland in Kent, and other times I’ll opt for a shop in Seattle. Every once in a while my weekly routine changes, and today was one of those days. I was all set to jump in the car and head north, but an extremely bad traffic snarl put a damper on my plans. I-5 was at a stand still, and alternate routes were just as bad. At that rate it would have taken me three hours to venture to Seattle, and I certainly wasn’t prepared for that! Since Seattle was out of the question, I readjusted my plans and decided to take full advantage of the situation. Now all I had to do was to decide if it would be a Peanut Butter day or a Churro day! That decision was quickly made once I called Menchie’s at James Center Place and received the word that they took out Twisted Cinnamon Churro yesterday. Another Churro farewell has arrived all too soon! I guess it’s a good thing I ended up going again on Tuesday instead of waiting until Fro-Yo Friday in the hopes that they’d still have it. Obviously I would have been disappointed tomorrow! When I heard that Churro was gone, I knew it was meant to be a PB day. Gibson’s in Tacoma notified me the other night to tell me my favorite flavor was back, so I’ve been looking forward to going. Today was the day!

The shop was quiet and a couple of people were leaving as I arrived. I was greeted by one of the team members that I had actually never met before, and the funny thing is that she’s worked here for a year. Oddly enough our paths haven’t crossed until today, but she knew exactly who I was. I guess my reputation preceded me! We became fast friends and were chatting as if we’d known each other for ages, so I knew I was in good company. After a few minutes of friendly conversation, I made my way toward the back of the shop to see what flavors awaited me. This location has eight flavors, so it’s a modest selection. Obviously I’m there for Peanut Butter, but we all know that Zelda isn’t a “one flavor in the cup” kind of girl. There have to be at least two, preferably three or more. One of the things that makes Gibson’s interesting is that in addition to YoCream products they also offer Only 8. In fact, they’re the only shop in the area to offer it. Only 8 is dairy free, gluten free, Kosher, and it has a mere eight calories per ounce. I’ll admit that some of their flavors are better than others, though. I don’t usually get the Only 8 products, but I like to sample them to see how the flavor is. Today they were in the process of changing flavors and didn’t have one in stock, so I looked at the other seven (PB included). Cookies ‘n’ Cream was available and it was my top contender as a PB companion, so I took a quick taste. I also noticed NSA Stawberry Cheesecake which is not something I usually get, but I decided to give it a try just for variation. It was really smooth and luscious, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. It quickly became another contender, especially since there wasn’t anything else that jumped out. After one last look, I grabbed my cup and started to create.

Peanut Butter was joined by Cookies ‘n’ Cream and NSA Strawberry Cheesecake respectively. Of course, the majority of the cup was allocated to Peanut Butter at 50%, leaving Cookies ‘n’ Cream with 30% and NSA Strawberry Cheesecake at 20%. Time to add a few sweet nuggets! Peanut Butter was given carob chips, Cookies ‘n’ Cream was paired with crumbled Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and NSA Strawberry Cheesecake was adorned with miniature dark chocolate chips. For the finale cookie dough bites and whipped cream were present and accounted for on all three flavors, and after redeeming a discount my dessert was completely free. Wow! I grabbed my favorite spot at the counter and began to savor my creation.

NSA Strawberry Cheesecake was the first flavor to leave since it was the odd man out, so to speak. I rarely go with this type of flavor, and the last thing I wanted was for the other two flavors to have a strawberry taste. It was the smallest portion, so it wasn’t long before I was on to the others. Peanut Butter was an absolute dream, and its flavor was very bold today. There’s nothing like having a fresh batch of PB, and I live for days like this! The texture was perfect as well, so I couldn’t have asked for much more. Cookies ‘n’ Cream was rich and creamy with a nice chocolatey flavor, and it was a nice divider flavor. Chocolate and PB are always great together, and chocolate and strawberry make a nice combination as well. The cup was gone before I knew it, and I had another happy sweet tooth.

I had an interesting encounter while I was at Gibson’s today. The owners came in, and they always give me a hug and take time to talk. It was funny because one of them said “I can’t believe you came when we don’t have PB!” and I said “But you do have it!” She didn’t realize it had just gone in this week, and she knows I only stop by when they have PB. The interesting part of the encounter is that I had a chance to meet the prospective new owners. You may recall that on a recent visit I mentioned that the owners are selling this location. They’re keeping the Westgate location and the mobile truck, but they’ve decided to put the original shop up for sale. The prospective owners were meeting with the Gibsons today, so Zelda received a formal introduction. It was kind of funny when the Gibsons told them that I only come in whenever there’s Peanut Butter, so that raised a couple of eyebrows and got a laugh. The gentleman told me that he would definitely keep that in mind, so it will be interesting to see if the sale goes through. I just hope that whoever buys it doesn’t change the name. I can’t imagine walking into Gibson’s and it being called something else. Only time will tell, but whatever happens it will always be “Gibbo’s” to me.

Until we eat again….

Z-

new owners

PB Vs Churro? What A Dilemma!

It’s another sunny day in Washington, and Zelda was in search of something delicious. After Monday’s five star adventure at Menchie’s in Tacoma, I was really tempted to have an immediate encore. Then there was a strong part of me that wanted my beloved Peanut Butter because it’s been a few days and that’s too long in my book! I got a notification last night from Gibson’s in Tacoma that my favorite flavor had returned, so I had a tough decision to make. Would I go to Gibson’s for Peanut Butter or return to Menchie’s in Tacoma for another round of the extremely limited Twisted Cinnamon Churro? Menchie’s is expecting it to last most of the week, but tomorrow and Thursday are a no go for me. It was either go again today or take a risk and wait until Friday in the hopes that they’d still have it. Talk about being torn between two loves! The deciding factor came down to the other flavors at Gibson’s. I never choose just one flavor in the cup; there has to be at least two, preferably three. Gibson’s offers eight flavors but when I called this morning they were currently in the process of cleaning one machine, so only six flavors were available until the process was finished. Out of the remaining five available options, there was nothing I would get aside from Alpine Vanilla. As much as I love PB, having Vanilla as a partner is my least favorite combination. It was hard to pass it up, but the odds were definitely in favor of Menchie’s simply because there was a better lineup waiting. Back to James Center Place for another fiesta with Churro!

A different team member was working today and she welcomed me in. I was the only customer in the shop, and that’s always a pleasant sight for me. Who wouldn’t want to have all the fro-yo and toppings to themselves? It’s like having your own special buffet! My excitement was slightly short-lived when I looked at the machines and noticed that one was being cleaned. Thankfully it wasn’t Twisted Cinnamon Churro, but it was one of the other flavors I was planning to get. Yesterday Honey Graham Crumble was part of the fantastic trio, but it was in the machine that was being cleaned today and was currently unavailable. One of my pet peeves with any yogurt shop is to walk in and find a machine being cleaned during business hours. If you’re going to offer 10 flavors or 12 flavors, etc., then have all of them available to your customers. I can understand if it’s a mechanical issue and the machine is not working properly, but routine cleaning during the day is a no-no. No one wants to walk in and find that their selection is limited because the shop chose to clean the machine during the day. It all comes down to money; some shops would rather not pay their employees to come in any earlier than necessary to set up the shop for the day, but in the end it’s a disservice to the customer. Whether I had chosen Gibson’s or Menchie’s today, I would have still had two fewer flavors because of routine maintenance. Thankfully Churro was unaffected as was my other leading contender, Rockin’ Salted Caramel. I took a quick taste of each and then scanned the rest of the lineup for a possible third flavor, giving Takes The Cake Batter the benefit of the doubt. It didn’t hit the spot, but I really wanted a third addition. Nothing else stood out, so I chose the most basic of flavors. Talk about irony! I grabbed a cup and started my mix.

Twisted Cinnamon Churro was joined by Vanilla Snow and Rockin’ Salted Caramel today to form a trio worth smiling about. Twisted Cinnamon Churro and Rockin’ Salted Caramel each saw a generous portion of 45% of the cup while Vanilla Snow was a modest divider of 10%. It was basically an excuse for me to get a PB topping, so Vanilla Snow received crumbled Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Rockin’ Salted Caramel loves a chocolate accent, and I usually go with dark chocolate. Surprisingly this location doesn’t offer Hershey’s Special Dark chocolate chips like most Menchie’s locations, and they didn’t have any chocolate dipped fruit on the topping bar either. Too bad! I had to resort to a miniature Hershey’s Kiss which is not really my preference, but it will do in a pinch. There’s only one topping I adore for Twisted Cinnamon Churro, but the majority of Menchie’s locations have pulled it from their toppings bar. Capital Mall is the exception, so I usually pick up an extra cup of it when I’m there. Of course, I’m talking about Cinnamon Toast Crunch! It’s the perfect match for Churro, so I usually bring my own supply for all of my Churro occasions. It makes its appearance once I’m at the table, so I still needed to finish the rest of the cup first. All of my creations are given cookie dough bites and whipped cream to make them complete, and then I was grabbing a bright green spoon and adding my secret topping. Perfecto! Time to indulge.

From the first bite, I could feel that a sugar coma was in store for me. Twisted Cinnamon Churro and Rockin’ Salted Caramel were equally intoxicating, and every bite melted my taste buds into oblivion. Churro had a wonderful blend of sweet and savory, and the cinnamon was divine. Rockin’ Salted Caramel is rich and decadent, and it blended nicely with the others in the cup. This is definitely one of my favorite caramel flavors, and it ranks right next to Dreamy Dulce de Leche. Vanilla Snow was…. well it was Vanilla Snow; it’s very simple and there’s nothing jazzy about it. The crumbled Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups were the perfect addition to give it a little bit of oomph, and that’s all I really wanted anyway. Since I didn’t choose in PB’s favor today, I owed it to myself to at least have a PB topping. The cup was spectacular but Twisted Cinnamon Churro was extremely soft again today, more so than Rockin’ Salted Caramel which was soft as well. There was a bit of a cinnamon caramel pool forming in the bottom of the cup, so there wasn’t a great deal of time to spare while eating. It wasn’t the end of the world by any means, and it was such a dreamy encounter despite the melty texture. Before I knew it I was taking the last bite, and then the spoon was bare. What a sweet journey this was! I couldn’t help but feel a little guilty about delaying my visit to Gibson’s for PB, though. Since PB just went into the machine yesterday, they’re expecting it to remain in the store until sometime this weekend. It will be a few days before I have the chance to go, but I’m definitely ready to head back to the Stadium district for a visit with my buddies at “Gibbo’s”. In the meantime, I think a trip to the land of yogurt is in order!

Until we eat again….

Z-

Rockin’ All The Way To Tacoma

  

Monday is here again, so it’s time to get ready for another week. This is the off week at Yogurtland which means that the new flavors in the current promotion won’t be released until next Monday, but that’s okay because I had my mind set on something specific. In planning today’s adventure, I made a few calls to inquire about flavors at a few places. My first thought was to call Menchie’s in Hawks Prairie to find out the latest on Twisted Cinnamon Churro. Its days were already numbered, and as of Friday the manager expected that they’d have it until sometime this week. I was a little skeptical and didn’t bet any money, and I’m so glad I didn’t. When I called last night to check the status, they had just run out. Say it isn’t so! It sure was nice while it lasted, but it has seen its last fiesta. Twisted Cinnamon Churro has been my leading flavor at that location for over a month but now it’s gone and I’m back to seeking out places with Peanut Butter or something equally as enticing. Luck must have been on my side last night because I made a few calls and decided to check with Menchie’s at James Center Place in Tacoma, and would you believe that they just got Churro back? Are you kidding me? One door closes and another one opens. Guess where Zelda ended up today!

It’s been several months since I was last here, so it was nice to be back. I’ve always been fond of this location, but it’s a little out of the way and I usually only come here when they have Peanut Butter. It seems like my visits have been fewer and fewer because there have been plenty of Zelda craveables at other nearby shops and I haven’t had the need to venture too deep into Tacoma. That wasn’t the case today, though! I was happily welcomed in by the team member as I claimed my favorite table and took a look around. The last time I was here I found out that the owner sold it to another individual, so it was bittersweet because she was always such a hospitable owner and really took the time to make her guests feel welcome as if they were in her home. I’ve heard nothing but good things about the new owner but haven’t had a chance to meet him yet. The shop still looks the same, so I don’t think there have been too many changes with the new ownership. I do know that they changed their $5 Fill-Up Friday from being an all day event to being offered from 8pm-11pm, though. That doesn’t affect me because I never get enough to utilize the deal anyway, but I’m sure there were a few disappointed guests. There was one customer in the shop when I arrived, so it was nice and quiet…just the way I like it! Twisted Cinnamon Churro was the main draw here but there were two other scrumptious offerings that peaked my interest. It’s been a few months if not longer since I’ve been to a location that’s had Rockin’ Salted Caramel, so that was my second choice of the day. A quick sample reminded me of just how indulgent it is, and then it was time to sample my final intriguing option: Honey Graham Crumble. After taking a quick taste of all three, I didn’t need anything else. The cup was established!

Rockin’ Salted Caramel was the first flavor to leap into the cup, followed by Honey Graham Crumble and Twisted Cinnamon Churro. Twisted Cinnamon Churro had a slight lead at 40% of the cup while the other two flavors received 30% each. I could tell the texture of each was a little soft, so I quickly made my way toward the toppings bar. The first thing I did was reach for the chocolate, but the topping I wanted was noticeably absent. Most Menchie’s locations have Hershey’s Special dark chocolate chips, but this location (like Hawks Prairie) doesn’t offer them and instead has Hershey’s miniature Kisses. I don’t really like those because they’re a little too big, and I’m not a big fan of milk chocolate anyway. It looks like Rockin’ Salted Caramel was going to have a few slivers of chocolate from the bin of chocolate dipped strawberries instead! Honey Graham Crumble was paired with graham cracker crumbs, and then I took one last look to see if by some strange miracle this location might still have Cinnamon Toast Crunch (Churro’s favorite accessory). I didn’t really expect them to, so I wasn’t too surprised when I came up empty handed. Good thing I brought my own stash which I acquired from a previous visit to the Capital Mall location! They’ll make their appearance at the table, but for the time being there was still the matter of Zelda’s two crucial toppings: cookie dough bites and whipped cream have to make an appearance throughout the cup. Once they were added it was time to grab a spoon, add the secret topping to Churro, and dig in!

Oh my! This cup was sinfully decadent and I was in heaven from the first bite. I don’t know which flavor was the best because each one was mouth watering and captivating. Rockin’ Salted Caramel was very rich and sweet, and it’s always certain to put a smile on my face. Honey Graham Crumble has a nice savory presence and I love being able to taste the graham crackers that it’s made with. I don’t think I have to tell you how much I enjoyed Twisted Cinnamon Churro because I’ve never had a bad Churro encounter. Cinnamon sugar is the name of this game, and there was plenty of that in each bite. Combined with Cinnamon Toast Crunch, there was no way this flavor could miss. All three flavors were a bit on the soft side today, so they started melting by the time I was paying. I had to rush through the cup a little quicker than I wanted, but every bite was completely divine. The team member told me that Twisted Cinnamon Churro should be in all week, so I’m strongly considering a return. Two of my days this week are already spoken for, so that only leaves tomorrow or Friday. Should Zelda do an immediate encore or roll the dice and hope it’s still here on Fro-Yo Friday? That might be a little too risky if you ask me!

Until we eat again….

Z-

A Churro Worth Dreaming About

    

  

Fro-Yo Friday is finally here, so let the good times begin! Everyone looks forward to the weekend because that’s when the majority of us have extra leisure time to do the fun things we didn’t get to do during the week. Of course the weekend is also a time when a lot of us do chores around the house, but hopefully you can still find a little bit of time to sneak in a few fun activities. With the weekend’s arrival, Zelda was ready to welcome it in with another round of Twisted Cinnamon Churro at Menchie’s. Ranking high on Zelda’s crave worthy scale alongside Peanut Butter, this former featured flavor is in its last days at the Hawks Prairie location. By some strange miracle it’s managed to survive to see another day, but its days are definitely numbered. After my morning errands were taken care of, I made my way to Menchie’s for another happy indulgence.

Guess who was the first customer of the day! That’s right, it was Zelda. Oddly enough the shop had already been open for an hour by the time I arrived, but the manager said that I was the first one to come in. That’s really surprising for a Friday, plus this location is next to a busy restaurant. I guess everyone else was still filling their tummies with burgers and fries, and perhaps planning to stop in later for dessert. The owner was in the shop today as well and she always takes time to chat with me and tell me how much she appreciates my business. It’s so nice to go somewhere that values your loyalty! She told me about a few new promotions that will be happening at her location starting next week. Since Monday is their slowest day, they will start offering a $5 fill-up on Monday from 3pm-7pm in addition to $5 Fill-Up Friday. Wednesday will be known as Waffle Madness Wednesday and will feature a discount on waffle bowls. They’ve also started experimenting with their waffle making skills and have created a few waffle sticks which were looking quite yummy today. If that’s not enough to get you excited, there will also be a discount for customers who “like” their Facebook page. There are plenty of deals to be had at Hawks Prairie! After getting the scoop on the upcoming changes, I was ready for dessert. I already knew the two I wanted, but I decided to get a quick sample of I Dream Of Cookies ‘n’ Cream. Super yummy, but I still stuck with my original plan. Time to get my cup and go to work!

Twisted Cinnamon Churro saw its favorite companion, Dreamy Dulce de Leche in a 60% – 40% ratio. Both flavors are amazing, but Twisted Cinnamon Churro is always likely to get the majority. After all, it’s scrumptious and it’s on limited time! Once my flavor were set, I hopped over to the toppings bar for a few tasty trinkets. By now I think all of us know what Zelda’s favorite topping for Churro is: Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Unless you’re new here, then you know that most Menchie’s locations no longer carry it and I’ve only seen it at the Capital Mall location. Since nothing else truly does justice to Twisted Cinnamon Churro, I brought home an extra cup of Cinnamon Toast Crunch for those yummy Churro occasions. Since my secret stash of this sugary delight gets added at the table, I only needed to focus on Dreamy Dulce de Leche which always sees a chocolate accent. Dark chocolate is my preference, but the Hawks Prairie location only stocks milk chocolate or white chocolate dry toppings. They do however use a fudgy chocolate sauce for dipping their fruit and waffle bowls, so Zelda gets creative and usually manages to find a few chunks or slivers among the bin of dipped fruit. It’s either that or settle for milk chocolate! After the chocolate chunks were added, my final two toppings made their way into the cup. Cookie dough bites and whipped cream are a basic requirement for all of my creations, and they’re added throughout. Perfect! Time to enjoy!

I was in heaven from the first bite! Twisted Cinnamon Churro was sweet and cinnamony, and it danced the tango on my taste buds. Oh, how I love this flavor! With Cinnamon Toast Crunch in the mix, it was all the more spectacular. Dreamy Dulce de Leche is another favorite of mine, and it’s so creamy and indulgent. It pairs well with so many other flavors and always goes well with Churro. With its chocolate topping, how could it miss? The texture was a little on the soft side for both, but that’s normal for this location. It wasn’t super melty, but definitely soft. The shop had a couple of customers come in while I was there, but it never got very busy. As for the status of Twisted Cinnamon Churro, the machine is full but what’s in there is all that’s left. They expect it to last a few more days depending on how busy of a weekend they have, but it’s hard to say for sure. I’m not expecting it to be there on my next visit unless I happen to return tomorrow, but I may end up following the Peanut Butter trail instead. How to choose between my beloved PB and my love of Churro? Oh, the humanity!

Until we eat again….

Z-

A Fortunate Twist Of Fate

 

Thursday brought about a few surprises, but one was pretty fantastic! A typical Thursday sends Zelda on a trip to the Emerald City which can result in various options for fro-yo, but a last minute change this morning indicated otherwise. It actually worked out in my favor, though. Since I wasn’t venturing north, I found myself in Thurston County for the day. My first inclination was another PB indulgence, so I considered my options. I could return to Menchie’s at Capital Mall for a third straight day or I could explore other possibilities. Black Bear in Tacoma always has Peanut Butter in stock, but there have been a few occasions where it wasn’t as fresh as it should have been. I always call before going so that I can inquire about the quality of it, but today I wasn’t able to get an answer at the shop. I definitely didn’t want to roll the dice and drive all that way only to be disappointed, so I nixed the idea and resounded to the idea that I’d be returning to Menchie’s at Capital Mall. At the last minute a little voice told me to check with Menchie’s at Hawks Prairie to see if they had replaced Twisted Cinnamon Churro earlier this week as expected. To my delight they still had it, and I knew it must have been fate. A Churro adventure awaited me!

There was only one customer in the shop, so it was another quiet day. My favorite kind of day! The team member welcomed me in as I grabbed my favorite table. I told her that it had made my day when I called and found out that Twisted Cinnamon Churro was still in, so she was glad she could share the great news. Twisted Cinnamon Churro was one of June’s featured flavors, and Zelda fell in love with it from the start. It’s sweet and sugary with so much cinnamon goodness, and it always puts a smile on my face. All of the other Menchie’s locations in the area have long since run out, so Hawks Prairie has been my exclusive Churro headquarters. That’s going to change in the next few days, so I have to enjoy it while I can. I already knew which flavors would go into today’s cup, but I still took time to look at the offerings. Only one of August’s featured flavors are available; Wild Cherry Sorbet With A Splash Of Lime. The other flavor (Bold Cranberry Raspberry Blast) will arrive as soon as Twisted Cinnamon Churro runs out, so it will be delayed by a week or so. That’s fine with me since I’m not big on fruity flavors, plus I’d rather see Churro hold out as long as possible. I only took two samples today, and it was more or less just a quick quality check. Both passed inspection and it was time to fill the cup!

Twisted Cinnamon Churro was paired with Dreamy Dulce de Leche to make a luscious duo with a ratio of 60% – 40% respectively. I could hardly wait to sink my teeth into it, but I certainly wasn’t going to skip out on toppings! Twisted Cinnamon Churro has one ideal topping, but oddly enough it’s not offered at Menchie’s anymore. Well, I guess I should rephrase that and I say it’s no longer offered at most Menchie’s locations; Capital Mall being the exception. Cinnamon Toast Crunch is the perfect match because it’s cinnamony and it’s sugary, just like Twisted Cinnamon Churro. Whenever I go to the Capital Mall location, I often take the opportunity to bring a cup of it home with me so that I can bring it along to other locations whenever there’s a Churro encounter. The special topping makes its appearance at the table before the first bite is enjoyed, so Churro would have to wait for its special accent. In the meantime, Dreamy Dulce de Leche was decorated with chocolate chunks from the bin of chocolate dipped cherries. This location doesn’t offer any dark chocolate toppings other than dipped fruit, so I usually have to find a few pieces of chocolate in the bin. Odd I know, but it gets the job done! All of my creations are finished with cookie dough bites and whipped cream throughout, and then it’s complete. After today’s discount, the total of my cup was a mere $0.36. What can I say? Dining on pocket change is a knack of mine. Time to grab a lime green Menchie character spoon, add the coveted topping to Churro, and enjoy.

Wow! I think I died and went to heaven! This dessert had all the makings of a perfect and sinfully sweet indulgence. Twisted Cinnamon Churro had amazing flavor and danced along my taste buds while Dreamy Dulce de Leche was exactly that….dreamy. It’s rich and buttery, kind of like an old fashioned caramel candy that just melts in your mouth. I don’t know about you, but things like this really send me into a euphoric state. One sugar coma coming up! It was pretty amazing, and every bite seemed to be better than the previous one. The texture was just a little softer than I would like, but that’s common at this location and it certainly didn’t keep me from enjoying every last drop. By the time I reached the end of the cup, my eyes were glazed and I could feel my body go limp. Another successful visit!

The shop only had one other customer while I was there, so it was another relaxing adventure. That’s never a bad thing in my book! While I was there, the team member and I were talking about various toppings and she mentioned that the owner has decided to take cheesecake bites off the toppings bar. What was left in the bin today was all that they had in stock, so it’s just a matter of time. I was quite surprised since it’s such a popular topping, and I would have expected it to be a required topping by Menchie’s corporate but I guess not. I’m sure there will be some unhappy customers once the cheesecake bites make their exit. Evidently it’s a rather expensive topping, and the owner debated on whether to remove cheesecake bites or cookie dough bites. Thank goodness the cookie dough bites won the battle and will remain, otherwise Zelda would be smuggling in her own cookie dough bites. Those of you who have been around the block a few times know that I already have to do that at Twisties, so it’s nothing out of the ordinary for Zelda. I can’t imagine having to do that at Menchie’s, though!

With Thursday coming to a close there’s another adventure waiting in the wings, but that’s not all…..the weekend is coming! How to celebrate Fro-Yo Friday? Something sweet and delicious, please! Although nothing is written in stone, don’t be surprised if Zelda makes one final Churro run!

Until we eat again….

Z-

Hasta La Vista, Churro!

  

The weekend is in full force and so is the heat. This is my sixth summer in Washington, and it’s by far the hottest one. We usually get one or two really hot weeks where temperatures soar above 90, but this summer we’ve had more than our fair share of blistering hot days. The key to staying cool is plenty of refreshments and lots of air conditioning, and I’ve got access to both. My initial thought for today’s fro-yo adventure was to track down my beloved Peanut Butter. Being in Tacoma, Black Bear is nearby and always offers my favorite flavor on a permanent basis. That’s great news for me! I was all set for a little bit of PB, but there was a last minute change of plans. I had my favorite fro-yo companion with me and word has spread about the upcoming Churro departure at Menchie’s in Lacey. Since we weren’t sure exactly how much longer it would be there, we decided we’d better go today just to be on the safe side. Now that August is officially here, the two new featured flavors will be arriving and we were curious about them as well. I guess Peanut Butter would have to wait until tomorrow because today was going to be another Churro-themed adventure.

The first thing I noticed was the posters hanging in the window for the two featured flavors which was rather surprising because this location doesn’t usually have them both on the first day. They’re supposed to, but typically they have one and then the second one arrives a little later. Since the posters were hung and ready to welcome in guests, naturally I expected to see them both. Wrong! Would you believe that neither flavor was available? We’ve got the posters, folks, but not the flavors. How does that happen? Why advertise the product if you don’t have it yet? Evidently one will be available tomorrow and the other one within a few days, so they’re coming soon. It’s still a bit misleading for customers, though. And for those of you who are wondering, yesterday’s assumption was correct and they’re both fruity flavors (cherry and cranberry raspberry). Too bad! I’m holding out for the savory flavors, so maybe September will be more my style. Since there weren’t any featured flavors to try, I looked to see if there had been any other changes since yesterday. Pink Lemonade Sorbet has been changed to Paradise Fruit Punch Sorbet, but that was the only change. As I was looking, the owner came out to say hello and struck up a conversation. Of course the million dollar question was “When is Churro leaving?” As it turns out, it’s a good thing I came in today because she is planning to change Twisted Cinnamon Churro tomorrow. I guess fate stepped in and guided me to the right place today! I decided to just do a quick quality check of two in particular and skip the rest of the flavors. Yesterday saw Zelda enjoying a scrumptious trio, and if I am going to go to the same place two days in a row then I prefer to change it up a little; plus there was the matter of the farewell cup of my cinnamon sugar indulgence. Today was going to be all about Twisted Cinnamon Churro and its favorite companion.

Twisted Cinnamon Churro was joined by Dreamy Dulce de Leche in a 50-50 ratio. With a duo as delicious as this, it’s hard to play favorites sometimes! As I moved over to the toppings bar, I studied my options carefully. Normally I bring my special topping for Twisted Cinnamon Churro since I’ve gotten hooked on it; Cinnamon Toast Crunch is the one topping that truly does it justice. Unfortunately I wasn’t expecting that I would end up at Menchie’s today, and Zelda’s secret stash was at home. Oh no! Talk about a disappointment! The farewell cup and no Cinnamon Toast Crunch to join in the festivities. Now I really had my work cut out for me! I noticed that this location is now offering Cheerios, so that was a surprise. Cheerios are okay, but not something I would get on my fro-yo. I continued to pore over the options to see if there was anything else that stood out, but no luck. I finally decided to go with graham cracker crumbs for Churro, and then it was on to the chocolate. Dreamy Dulce de Leche was the recipient of chocolate sprinkles and a few chunks of chocolate from the bin of chocolate dipped strawberries. Creativity is the key when they don’t have the type of chocolate topping you really want! The entire cup was given its usual array of cookie dough bites and whipped cream, and then it was time to dig in.

What a delight! Both flavors were spot on, and the taste was amazing. The texture was a little softer than what I’d prefer, and there was a small pool forming in the bottom of the cup by the time I sat down at my favorite table. It wasn’t tragic, but I couldn’t really take my time like I wanted. For this being my last encounter with Twisted Cinnamon Churro, it certainly didn’t last as long as I wanted it to. It was spectacular for the taste buds, though. Cinnamon sugar and caramel? Now you’re talking! The only thing missing (literally) was the Cinnamon Toast Crunch which was a shame since the flavor won’t be here on my next visit. Sometimes those things happen, though! At least it was a yummy farewell.

Now that my leading flavor at Hawks Prairie is saying farewell, I may not be making quite as many stops to this particular location. It’s still one of my closer options, so I’m sure there will be days when I don’t want to venture too far for my daily adventure. I know that I’ll be in one day next week because I have a fro-yo date with a friend, but after that it’s anyone’s guess. In the meantime, I think I’m due for a visit to the land of yogurt!

Until we eat again….

Z-

Numbered Days For Churro Once Again?

  

  

Guess what day it is….it’s Fro-Yo Friday! That’s right, we’ve waited all week for it and now it’s here! What a hot one it is, too. The heat wave in Washington is back, and we’re all just looking for ways to keep cool. Personally I prefer to stay inside with the a/c blasting, venturing out into the heat as little as possible but sometimes we just have to brave the heat. I had made up my mind that if I was going to leave the comfort of my cool house today, there was definitely going to be some Churro involved. Menchie’s at Hawks Prairie still has this yummy flavor, and luckily they’re just a short car ride away.

The shop was refreshingly cool today and felt great. There were a few other customers who walked in as I was parking the car, but it wasn’t very busy. It was nothing like Yogurtland in Kent yesterday which was swarming with frozen treat seekers. The team member welcomed me in as I claimed my favorite table, and then I made my way toward the sample cups. Today is the last day of July which means it’s the last day for the current promotional flavors: Strawberry Kiwi Twist Sorbet and Pink Lemonade Sorbet. I’ve sampled them both in the past, but since I’m not much of a sorbet person I decided to skip the farewell sample today. I’m curious to see what next month will bring although it sounds like it’s going to be two fruity flavors (some sort of Raspberry and Cherry). What about the savory flavors? Zelda wants her savory! I guess Menchie’s probably felt like the summer months should be all about the more refreshing choices, so hopefully September will bring something more to my liking. I decided to stick with three samples of my leading contenders today, two of which were a shoe-in. I Dream Of Cookies ‘n’ Cream is was the other flavor, and it’s one of those flavors that I get half of the time while the other half of the time I go without it. Today it was tasted spectacular and I knew I couldn’t pass it up. It looks like it would be a trio for Zelda today!

I Dream Of Cookies ‘n’ Cream was the first flavor to arrive, followed by Dreamy Dulce de Leche and Twisted Cinnamon Churro. Twisted Cinnmon Churro had the majority at 40% of the cup while the other two each saw 30%. The cup was looking great so far, and I hadn’t even made it to the toppings yet. I Dream Of Cookies ‘n’ Cream was given crumbled Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups while Dreamy Dulce de Leche was paired with chunks of dark chocolate that I found in the bin of dipped fruit. Since the location doesn’t offer dark chocolate toppings, I have to be a little strategic. The same is true of Twisted Cinnamon Churro which was paired with a topping that this location has never even offered: Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Most Menchie’s locations have pulled this topping off of the bar, but not the location at Capital Mall. When I was there a few weeks ago, I grabbed an extra cup so that I’d have it for days like this when I come face to face with Churro. It’s kind of a “bring your own special topping” situation. The cereal stays at the table until I’ve had a chance to sit down, and then it’s added before the first bite is taken. Until then, the entire cup receives a generous amount of cookie dough bites and whipped cream and then it’s time to hit the scale. With today’s discount, the cup was a whopping $0.24. Fro-yo for less than a quarter? Now you’re talking! I grabbed my pink Menchie character spoon, added the Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and then it was time to indulge.

This was a mouth watering indulgence that was well worth braving the heat for! Each flavor was creamy and literally melted in my mouth, sending me into a total sugar coma. I don’t even know where to begin…..I Dream Of Cookies ‘n’ Cream was perfectly balanced and I could taste both the chocolate and the cream without the chocolate being overpowering. Dreamy Dulce de Leche always tastes like a buttery caramel candy that just glides across my taste buds like ice skates on a skating rink. So heavenly! Of course we all know how Zelda feels about Twisted Cinnamon Churro; it’s sweet with a cinnamony overtone and has quite a craveworthy taste. I’ve gotten so hooked on this flavor and it ranks up there alongside Peanut Butter. All three were completely intoxicating, and I honestly don’t know which one I enjoyed the best. It would probably be Twisted Cinnamon Churro or Dreamy Dulce de Leche, but only by a slim margin. This is the encounter a girl dreams about at night! Unfortunately I was brought back down to reality for a moment, though. The employee mentioned to me that Twisted Cinnamon Churro will be leaving soon, and that came as a surprise because I had been previously told that it would be around for a while. Oh no! The employee couldn’t confirm exactly how soon it would be changed, so I’m hoping that it will be there at least until next week since I know I won’t be back before then. Could today have been Zelda’s last Churro encounter? I shudder at the thought! Good thing I bought a pre-pack of it a few weeks ago to help get me through those lonely Churro-less days!

Until we eat again….

Z-

The Goodness That Is Churro

It’s been a busy couple of days for Zelda, and I have two amazing Yogurtland adventures to show for it. It required a lengthy drive on my part, but it’s always worth it when the land of yogurt is involved. Today would have been a third straight day because I had an invite to meet a friend at the Kent location today, so I would have good company as well as yummy flavors. As tempting as it was, I didn’t think I was up for making the drive again and decided to take a raincheck. Two days in a row is tedious, but three days on I-5 can be rather exhausting. Today seemed like a good day to give the gas tank a break and stay a little closer to home, and that led me to my nearest and dearest option. Menchie’s at Hawks Prairie is just a short distance away, and they always have a few of my favorite flavors in stock. Unfortunately they don’t currently have Peanut Butter, but they have Twisted Cinnamon Churro which I think we all know is a Zelda favorite. As the afternoon arrived, I finished a few errands and embarked on a sweet midday snack.

I had the shop all to myself, and that’s a sight I never grow tired of. From the looks of things, I might have even been the first customer of the day. Everything was perfect and untouched, but the shop had been open for almost an hour by the time I arrived. The manager was in the back, so I peeked in and said hello. From the sound of things, it was a busy weekend at this location. There had been an event going on in the business complex on Saturday, and hundreds of people turned out for it. I’m glad I wasn’t anywhere around here during all of that chaos! It was a totally different story today, though. After chatting with the manager for a bit, my sweet tooth started knocking at the door and I knew I had better not ignore it. I picked up a few sample cups on my way over to the machines and started my usual quality check. Since there weren’t any new flavors, I already knew which ones I was getting. Two were a definite, and there was a third flavor that I was on the fence about. Any guesses? If you said I Dream Of Cookies ‘n’ Cream, then you would be correct. I was leaning more toward the idea of skipping it today, mainly because I’ve had it for the past two days at Yogurtland. I didn’t want to rule it out without a taste, though. As tasty as it was, I decided to go with my initial instinct and focus solely on two amazingly sweet offerings.

Twisted Cinnamon Churro and Dreamy Dulce de Leche were today’s decadent duo. The portions were evenly distributed between the two, so there was no majority today. All I needed now were a few trinkets of yumminess! The first thing I noticed was the bin of chocolate dipped fruit; usually it’s chocolate dipped cherries but today they had chocolate dipped strawberries. If I were going to go for chocolate dipped fruit, strawberries would definitely be my choice as opposed to cherries. Evidently the cherries do quite well at this location, and this is the only Menchie’s that I’ve seen chocolate dipped cherries at; all of the other locations use strawberries or bananas. My preference for Dreamy Dulce de Leche is always dark chocolate, but this location doesn’t carry any dark chocolate toppings; only milk chocolate. That’s where the dipped fruit comes into play. The chocolate sauce that they use for dipping is a chocolate fudge sauce, so I usually find a few chunks in the bin with the dipped fruit. Sometimes you have to be creative if they don’t have exactly what you’re looking for, right? That’s also the case with Twisted Cinnamon Churro because they don’t offer my ideal topping; only the Menchie’s at Capital Mall offers Cinnamon Toast Crunch which I have found to be the perfect match. On my last visit I brought home an extra cup of it and it has become my “take-along” topping for all Churro encounters; it makes its appearance at the table before the first bite is enjoyed. But I’m getting ahead of myself aren’t I? After adding my chocolate topping to Dreamy Dulce de Leche, it was time for the two crucial staples to arrive. Cookie dough bites and whipped cream were given to both flavors, and then it was time to hit the scale. It was another discounted delight that came to a mere $0.30. It’s hard to believe you can get such a mouth watering dessert for pocket change, but if it’s possible then you know Zelda can pull it off. After grabbing my favorite table, the stash of Cinnamon Toast Crunch made its appearance on Twisted Cinnamon Churro and then it was finally time to dig in.

Another case of heavenly delight! I don’t know which flavor was more amazing today…the sweet and savory decadence of Twisted Cinnamon Churro or the luscious creamy caramel taste of Dreamy Dulce de Leche. Every bite was intoxicating and seemed to be even better than the previous bite. The cinnamon sugar blend of Twisted Cinnamon Churro combined with its special topping never ceases to amazing me, and it blends nicely with Dreamy Dulce de Leche. Speaking of Dreamy Dulce de Leche, anytime there’s chocolate and caramel together it’s sure to be a hit. This flavor in particular is so smooth and succulent, so it’s no surprise that it’s one of my go-to choices at this location. This was one of those occasions when you wish you could make time stand still because before I knew it, I was taking the last few bites and licking the spoon clean. Why do good things always come to an end? At least I know there’s always another adventure waiting in the wings, but it sure does feel like an eternity until then!

Until we eat again….
Z-