A Special Veteran’s Treat

It’s Wednesday, but it feels like a weekend because it’s Veteran’s Day. A mid-week holiday is always a good thing! In honor of the holiday, I invited my favorite veteran to join me on my adventure today and it just so happened that Menchie’s is offering a free yogurt to veterans as well as active duty and family members. If there’s free fro-yo, you can bet I’ll be there! The Tacoma Mall location has a great lineup at the moment to include my beloved PB, so after a fun morning of shopping holiday sales and enjoying a complimentary lunch it was dessert time at Menchie’s.

The shop was bustling with military families when I arrived, and I think this is probably one of the busiest days I’ve seen at this store. I was surprised that my favorite table was open, so I grabbed it before anyone else had a chance to. My friend was working today, so she welcomed me in amidst all of the hubbub and we chatted in between customers. We always enjoy our visits, and I try to drop by when I know she’s working. Once the shop quieted down, I ventured over toward the sample cups to see what looked tempting. So many choices! I didn’t see anything different since my visit on Saturday, so that made the choice a simple one. Three flavors called out to me, and they all passed their quality check even though Creamy Peanut Butter was not so creamy and was a little firmer than it should have been. The other two were ideal, but this one was slightly less than perfect. I guess PB might have the minority of the cup for a change.

Spiced Gingerbread Cookie was joined by Soft-Baked Sugar Cookie and (not so) Creamy Peanut Butter. Whenever I have bold flavors in the cup, it’s nice to separate them with a milder divider flavor and Soft-Baked Sugar Cookie was perfect for the task. Spiced Gingerbread Cookie had the pleasure of being adorned with Cinnamon Toast Crunch (from Zelda’s personal stash) as well as cream cheese icing, Soft-Baked Sugar Cookie was paired with crumbled Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and Creamy Peanut Butter was given a chocolate accompaniment in the form of Hershey’s Special dark chocolate chips. For the finale cookie dough bites and whipped cream were generously distributed throughout the cup to make it complete, and the cup was free thanks to the generous Veteran’s Day offer. With a collectible Alvin the Chipmunk spoon in hand, I was ready to savor the reward.

Spiced Gingerbread Cookie and Soft-Baked Sugar Cookie were today’s highlights, and every bite was a dream. I love the savory presence of Spiced Gingerbread Cookie, and it always goes so well with cream cheese icing. The icing is a former promotional topping that was brought in for Cinnabon Classic Cinnamon Roll, so it’s only here for a short time and the shop is almost out. I don’t know how I’ll survive after it’s gone, but I’m sure I’ll manage. It really adds a nice touch to some of the autumn flavors, so it will really be missed. Creamy Peanut Butter may not have lived up to its name today, but it’s hard to say anything bad about my favorite flavor. Since it wasn’t a perfect 10, it was the first flavor to exit so that I could focus on the two creamier offering. Talk about saving the best for last! It wasn’t long before the cup was empty and staring back at me, and my sweet tooth was once again satisfied. With the holiday coming to a close, there are just two short days until another weekend rolls around. And something tells me that tomorrow will find Zelda in the Emerald City! Who’s up for a refreshment?

Until we eat again….

Z-

Warm Cinnabon Comfort On A Cold Day

  

   

Tuesday brought extremely cold temperatures, but it wasn’t going to stop Zelda from enjoying her favorite frozen dessert. I had it on good authority that Menchie’s at Capital Mall still has Cinnabon Classic Cinnamon Roll for a couple of days, so I knew that was where today’s adventure would lead me. Until recently the Hawks Prairie store also had it, but they finally took it out a few days ago. Now it seems that Capital Mall is the only Cinnabon game in town, and that’s good enough for me. I planned my morning so that I would be on the west side of Olympia when fro-yo hour approached, and Menchie’s was calling my name.

The manager welcomed me in, and the shop was empty. It wasn’t exactly the most inviting weather for fro-yo, but some of us just have to have our daily indulgence no matter how low the temperature outside is. I certainly don’t mind an empty shop because there’s nothing I dread more than a crowded shop when I’m creating my masterpiece (except maybe for icy fro-yo). I grabbed my usual table and chatted for a while before eventually making my way to the sample cups. In addition to Cinnabon Classic Cinnamon Roll, I had my eye on a couple of other flavors. The shop always keeps I Dream Of Cookies ‘n’ Cream as a permanent flavor in the lineup, so that was one of today’s other contenders in addition to Spiced Gingerbread Cookie which made its debut earlier this month. After a quality check of each, the trio was decided and my cup was ready to be filled.

Cinnabon Classic Cinnamon Roll was the first flavor to arrive, followed by I Dream Of Cookies ‘n’ Cream and Spiced Gingerbread Cookie. The majority of the cup was awarded to Cinnabon Classic Cinnamon Roll at 50% while I Dream Of Cookies ‘n’ Cream was a modest divider flavor at 20%, and Spiced Gingerbread Cookie was given the remaining 30%. The trio was looking so scrumptious, but it still needed a few forget-me-nots. Those of you who have shared in my adventures before know that Cinnabon Classic Cinnamon Roll is best enjoyed when it has its signature toppings of Cinnabon Morsels and cream cheese icing. Oddly enough, the owner of this location is not a fan of either topping and chose not to order them. Are you kidding me? Why is it that owners tend to stock flavors and topping based on what they like as opposed to what the customer likes. It’s a real tragedy in my opinion, and it calls for drastic measures. No, I don’t carry a vial of cream cheese icing with me although I probably should since it goes so well with Spiced Gingerbread Cookie also. I do however carry a small stash of Cinnabon Morsels whenever I know I’m going to have a Cinnabon opportunity. When the Tacoma Mall location started to run low, I made sure I brought home a cup of this scrumptious topping for future Cinnabon encounters. They’ll make their appearance after I sit down at the table, so for now I continued on to I Dream Of Cookies ‘n’ Cream which was paired with crumbled Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Hershey’s Special dark chocolate chips before adding Cinnamon Toast Crunch to Spiced Gingerbread Cookie. For the finale, cookie dough bites and whipped cream were added throughout the cup before heading to the scale. As good as it sounds, it was about to get even better. After redeeming some of my Menchie’s Money, today’s treat was totally free. Let’s hear it for free fro-yo! As I took my seat, I broke out the coveted stash of Cinnabon Morsels and then it was complete. Let the eating begin!

Ooh, I love a good savory combo like this! Cinnabon Classic Cinnamon Roll was every bit as mouth-watering as always, and its super secret topping was the missing link to make it irresistible. Spiced Gingerbread Cookie was another wonderfully savory choice, and having Cinnamon Toast Crunch was a nice complement. You can never go wrong with a little bit of cinnamon and sugar, especially when the savory holiday flavors are involved. For my chocolate fix, I Dream Of Cookies ‘n’ Cream had exactly what I craved and it was the perfect balance of cocoa and cream. I don’t really like flavors that are over chocolately, so this one was perfect. Between my three choices, my taste buds were in heaven and I soon forgot just how cold it was outside. This was comfort food in a cup! Eventually I reached the end and had to brave the cold once again, but it was definitely a worthwhile endeavor.

Until we eat again….

Z-

Tis The Season For Scrooge

     

The week has begun and so has another holiday promotion at Yogurtland! That’s certainly something to brighten up a Monday, and Zelda definitely wasn’t going to miss out. I’ll admit that this year’s promotion pales in comparison to the past three years, but it’s still worth ringing in. As the morning progressed, I made the lengthy drive to Kent for a holiday adventure in the land of yogurt.

The shop was empty, and I was greeted by the sight of new promotional decor. The theme this year is “‘Tis the Season To Share Real Rewards” and it encourages customers to refer their friends to Yogurtland’s Real Rewards program in order to earn free yogurt. The more friends you refer, the more free fro-yo you can earn. It’s not exactly the most exciting promotion, and it won’t do you much good if your friends are already Real Rewards members. At least it’s something, though. I look forward to the holiday promotions mainly for the flavors, but it’s a meager offering this year. The past three years have averaged 10 holiday flavors, and there was one that even had 12. Now that’s what I call a holiday promotion! This year there are four, and only one is a new flavor. I’m not sure why Ebenezer Scrooge decided to show up and steal Christmas, but I feel like I woke up on Christmas day to find a lump of coal in my stocking. Since there are only four flavors, two arrived today and the other two will arrive next month. There will also be a special topping as of next week: Pumpkin Bites are making their return to go with Pumpkin Pie, but the odd thing is that the flavor has been in stores for two months already and will be leaving in early December. It’s a little bit of an afterthought if you ask me, but better late than never I suppose. As for today’s new arrivals, Cranberry Raspberry Tart and Bananas Foster are back in stores for the next four weeks. I’m not a big fan of tart flavors, and the same goes for fruity ones as well although I do enjoy Bananas Foster. It’s one of the few banana flavors that I like, the other being Cinnamon Banana Bread (another Yogurtland flavor). Bananas Foster was destined to find its way into today’s cup, so I looked at my other options and took a quick sample of the top contenders: Taro and Pumpkin Pie. Both passed the test, but out of the remaining eight flavors nothing stood out so I grabbed my cup and started to create.

Bananas Foster was joined by Taro and Pumpkin Pie to make a colorful combination. There wasn’t enough richness from the flavors themselves, so chocolate was the first order of business. Bananas Foster was adorned with NSA dark chocolate bits as well as a light dusting of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal while Taro was the happy recipient of crumbled Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups; Pumpkin Pie was livened up with carob chips and another round of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal made its way to this side of the cup as well. What can I say? It’s a great topping! As a rule, all of my creations are topped with cookie dough bites and whipped cream, but the whipped cream dispenser is currently broken. What is it with Yogurtland’s whipped cream dispensers? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve encountered a broken dispenser over the years. Whether it’s here or at the now closed UW and Capitol Hill locations, the dispensers have had a rough run and have seen more issues than you can imagine. This is just the latest in the whipped cream saga, so Zelda had to forgo her fluffy topping today. There were still plenty of cookie dough bites, so they were scattered throughout and then I was presented with a blue spoon from the summer “Sweet Treats” promotion. My favorite table was waiting, and it was time to savor the season (so to speak).

I started with Bananas Foster and it was just as flavorful as all of my past encounters with it. I think the reason I enjoy this flavor is because it’s made with cinnamon and vanilla, and we know how Zelda loves her cinnamon flavors. If it were just a regular banana flavor, I probably wouldn’t even bother sampling it but the cinnamon adds a level of appeal and makes it a little more exciting. Taro was delicious, but its texture was firm and bordeline icy which had an impact on how much I enjoyed it. For that reason, it was the smallest portion in the cup. Pumpkin Pie was tasty, but I’ve definitely had my fill of everything Pumpkin for the season. Typically it’s a flavor I always enjoy in the fall, but this season it hasn’t hit the spot like previous years and I definitely won’t be sad when it departs next month. The cup itself was appetizing, but the whipped cream was definitely missed. It seemed like no matter how good everything tasted, something major was missing. Not exactly the way I wanted to start the week, but at least it gives me something to hope for. I have a feeling tomorrow will find me back in familiar territory at Menchie’s where I’m sure there will be plenty of whipped cream as far as the eye can see. The only question is which location and which flavors to crave?

Until we eat again….

Z-

BYOM (Bring Your Own Morsels)?

    

    

Tuesday’s adventure found Zelda spending the morning in Thurston County, and that left me with two yummy nearby options. Typically I look for the shops that have Peanut Butter, and right now it’s Menchie’s at Hawks Prairie. The location at Capital Mall doesn’t currently have PB, but they have both of the new promotional flavors whereas Hawks Prairie doesn’t have either of them yet. There’s also another favorite of mine in stock, so I knew I’d have something crave worthy to enjoy. I rarely sacrifice my PB, but today was one of those days simply because I wanted the opportunity to have the featured flavors as well as the limited edition cups and spoons. You know how Zelda is with her special spoons! I’m not sure what the status is at Hawks Prairie as far as the cups and spoons are concerned, but I didn’t want to take the chance on missing out since I know they don’t have the promotional flavors yet. As the afternoon approached, Zelda made her way to the mall for a delicious encounter.

The manager was quite surprised when he saw me walk in because I usually only show up when they have Peanut Butter. I think I’ve only been a couple of times when they didn’t have it, so it doesn’t happen very often. The first thing I noticed was the special cups, but oddly the collectible spoons were missing. I immediately inquired about them and the manager went into the back and brought out a case of spoons. Zelda got the first Alvin spoon at this location! I’m not sure why they weren’t already stocked since the promotion began two days ago, but somehow they were overlooked. After catching up with the manager for a while, I was ready to pick up a few sample cups and satisfy my sweet tooth. The holiday promotion just began and features six flavors throughout November and December. The first two arrived on Sunday; Chocolate Mint Creme made with Andes and Spiced Gingerbread Cookie. I’m not crazy about Chocolate Mint Creme, but Spiced Gingerbread Cookie is rather tasty. It’s not as overpowering as I thought it would be, so I was pleasantly surprised. The other big draw for me was Cinnabon Classic Cinnamon Roll which was one of last month’s featured flavors. Most of the shops have already run out, but this location and Hawks Prairie still have it for the time being. I scanned the rest of today’s offerings for a third potential candidate, and I Dream Of Cookies ‘n’ Cream was the leader of the pack. Time to pick up another collectible Alvin & The Chipmunks cup and make some magic.

Cinnabon Classic Cinnamon Roll was the first flavor on the scene, and it was joined by Spiced Gingerbread Cookie and I Dream Of Cookies ‘n’ Cream. Time to pick out a few toppings! Unfortunately this location did not get the special toppings for Cinnabon Classic Cinnamon Roll because the owner is not a fan, but that’s an entirely different rant for another time. Since I knew in advance there wouldn’t be any Cinnabon toppings, I had an extra cup of them that I picked up over the weekend at the Tacoma Mall location and brought them with me today. No one is going to keep Zelda from her Cinnabon Morsels! They would make their appearance once I got to the table, so I moved on to Spiced Gingerbread Cookie which was given Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. I Dream Of Cookies ‘n’ Cream was given crumbled Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Hershey’s Special dark chocolate chips before adding my two basic requirements of cookie dough bites and whipped cream throughout the cup. After redeeming some of my Menchie’s Money, I am excited to say that today’s delight was free! I picked up another collectible Alvin spoon and grabbed my favorite table. Time to add the Cinnabon Morsels and enjoy!

What a delight for the taste buds! I Dream Of Cookies ‘n’ Cream was sweet and decadent with a perfectly smooth balance of cocoa and cream. Since it was a bit different from my other two choices, this was the flavor that I finished first. Cinnabon Classic Cinnamon Roll has been a favorite since it first debuted last November, so it’s one I always look forward to. Having the Cinnabon Morsels made it that much more inviting and added another layer of sweetness. Unfortunately I didn’t have any of the cream cheese icing since it wasn’t available, and it was definitely missed. At least I had the morsels, though! Spiced Gingerbread Cookie was savory and delicious, and it went well with its Cinnamon Toast Crunch topping. It’s hard to pick a favorite of the three since they were all so scrumptious in their own special way. It was just a matter of time before the cup was empty once again and Zelda’s sweet tooth was on cloud nine. Another successful adventure! I never like having to sacrifice Peanut Butter, but the experience today was so good that I really didn’t mind. There’s always tomorrow, right? It just might have to be a PB day!

Until we eat again….

Z-

Falling Back With The Taste Of Autumn

    

      

November has arrived and it even brought an extra hour for us last night! Hopefully everyone remembered to set their clocks back before going to bed, otherwise you might have gotten up an hour sooner than you needed to today. It was a perfect day to have an extra hour of sleep because it was soggy and cold outside, so Zelda took full advantage of it before making her way to Tukwila for lunch at her favorite restaurant. If I’m already planning to drive that far north, there’s a strong chance that I’ll either end up at Yogurtland in Kent or at Refresh Frozen Yogurt & Espresso in Seattle. I also contemplated going to Menchie’s since there are new flavors arriving, but I’m sure I’ll be there a lot in the coming days. Since I hadn’t been to Yogurtland all week, they were my priority today. They have one of my favorites in stock, and it’s a flavor I don’t get a chance to have very often. Off to Kent for dessert!

The rain had cleared up, but the shop was still empty. The assistant manager was really glad to see me and had lots of interesting news to share. It seems that the details of the next promotion have arrived, and she knows how much I look forward to having something new (especially when spoons are involved). The holiday promotion starts next Monday, but unlike past years this one is going to pale in comparison. There are usually at least 10 flavors, sometimes even 12, but this year it’s going to be a modest offering of four and only one of them is a new flavor. Talk about tightening the belt around the holidays! It kind of makes you wonder just how long Santa’s “naughty” list actually is, but it must be pretty hefty if we’re only getting one new flavor and three returns. So much for a bright holiday! After hearing the news I was definitely ready to drown my sorrows in something sweet, so I headed straight for the sample cups. This is the last week of the “Top This” promotion which began in September and consists of three flavors: Vanilla Malt, Chocolate Truffle, and Fresh Strawberry. The theme of the promotion encourages customers to creatively use toppings when building their masterpiece and submit them on Instagram for a chance to win free fro-yo for a year. It was rather disappointing for an autumn promotion, and the flavors are somewhat basic if you ask me. I’m not a big fan of strawberry, and I rarely get chocolate fro-yo in the cup. Vanilla Malt has a nice taste to it, so it often ends up in my cup as a divider flavor. The two main draws me for today were Taro and Pumpkin Pie, so both passed their quality check and ensured a spot in the cup. Nothing else called out to me, so I grabbed a cup and began swirling.

Pumpkin Pie was the first flavor to arrive, followed by Vanilla Malt and Taro. Pumpkin Pie and Taro had the larger shares at 40% each while Vanilla Malt was a modest divider at 20%. Pumpkin Pie was given carob chips and crushed Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal (mainly cinnamon sugar crumbs) while Vanilla Malt was given crumbled Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, leaving Taro the happy recipient of NSA dark chocolate bits. Every cup I create is completed with cookie dough bites and whipped cream throughout, and after redeeming one of my Real Rewards my cup was free. That’s a perfect way to start off the new month! The shop even has a few of the spoons from the summer “Sweet Treats” promotion, so I was given a teal spoon before grabbing my favorite table. Score!

Pumpkin Pie was a fitting choice for the first day of November, and having Vanilla Malt as its neighbor added a nice creamy flavor to it. Vanilla Malt is mild in taste, but its PB topping really livened things up. It’s no secret how Zelda feels about her PB, and if there’s no Peanut Butter in the cup then you can be sure there will be a PB topping. I have to get my fix somehow, right? The real highlight of the day was Taro, and it always has such a unique taste. If you’ve never had the pleasure of trying Taro, you don’t know what you’re missing! It’s one of those flavors that you either like or you don’t like, kind of like Pistachio. It’s subtle, but it definitely has a distinct taste. I often get it as a divider flavor, but today’s options were somewhat meager and it ended up being one of the main attractions. It never disappoints, though! Hopefully it will still be here on next weekend’s visit, but you can never be too sure. As I took the last few bites, I considered going back for seconds but decided to use my remaining 16 ounce birthday reward to make a to-go cup of Taro. I’ve had the reward since last month and was saving it for something special, and I couldn’t think of a better way to spend 16 ounces than to fill it with Taro. Happy belated birthday to me!

Until we eat again….

Z-

An End Of A Local Era

  

Happy Halloween! Yes, the season is upon us and it’s time for tricks and treats (hopefully just treats, though). We all love a good treat, especially Zelda. Originally I thought I’d make one final Cinnabon run at Menchie’s since today is the last official day, but I got a little bit of unexpected and very sad news last night. One of my favorite local shops is closing its doors today: Gibson’s at Westgate in Tacoma. They recently closed the Stadium shop which was big surprise, but they were still planning to keep the Westgate location open. Something obviously changed because this was a very sudden decision, and the staff didn’t even find out until yesterday. Unfortunately I didn’t have a chance to make it on the final weekend at Stadium due to the short notice, but I couldn’t miss the last hurrah at Westgate since after today there will be no more Gibson’s at all. My PB and Cinnabon cravings had to take a back seat today so that I could have a farewell treat at “Gibbo’s”.

The shop was busier than a lot of recent visits, and most of the people had already heard the news and wanted to stop in to pay their respects. A few people found out about it while they were there today, and that made for a lot of unhappy faces. The news of the closing was posted on social media sites yesterday, and the owners invited all of their customers in for one last cup of fro-yo on the house. Anytime there is free fro-yo involved, people come out of the woodwork. Customers were encouraged to fill up cups to take home to their freezer, and all of the pre-packs in the Gibson’s freezer were up for grabs as well. Most people opted to fill up a 16 oz cup, but one person who arrived before me had ransacked the freezer and filled up a plastic bag with a dozen pints of fro-yo. I know it’s free, but REALLY??? By the time he was done, there were less than 10 left in the freezer and the shop still had another five hours to go. Like I said, people were crawling out of the woodwork and a few of them were picking the bones dry. I grabbed one of the remaining pre-packs of gelato before looking at today’s flavors for my cup. The shop normally has 12 flavors, but they were already out of two by the time I arrived. Unfortunately there weren’t a lot of crave worthy flavors to choose from, but I found two that I was interested in. Oreo Cookie Gelato and Cinnamon Honey Graham Cracker are two house made flavors, and they were the most promising out of what was available today. I’ve tried Oreo Cookie Gelato before, but Cinnamon Honey Graham Cracker was a new creation. I did a quick quality check of both, and thankfully they passed with flying colors. I also spotted Pumpkin Gelato and considered it as a third option, but the sample wasn’t very good and that idea was quickly nixed. After the sampling was complete, I picked up an orange cup for the last time.

Oreo Cookie Gelato was the first flavor to arrive in the cup followed by Cake Batter and Cinnamon Honey Graham Cracker. I could tell that Oreo Cookie Gelato was almost gone because it was coming out very slowly and I had the lever pushed down as far as it would go. I certainly didn’t want to take the last of it since I knew the person behind me was planning to get some, so I moved on to my other flavors. After my trio was in place, I was ready to hit the toppings bar and pick out a few chocolatey morsels. Oreo Cookie Gelato was given crushed KitKat while Cake Batter was paired with crumbled Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. My first choice for Cinnamon Honey Graham Cracker would have been Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, but the shop doesn’t carry it so I ended up going with crushed graham crackers. All of my creations are completed with cookie dough bites and whipped cream throughout, so both were added before grabbing an orange spoon and my favorite spot at the counter.

Oreo Cookie Gelato was the highlight of the day, and I really wished I had been able to get a larger portion. My generosity got the best of me, though! I could definitely taste the Oreo cookies, and it had a nice cocoa flavor without being too overpowering. Cinnamon Honey Graham Cracker was good, but it didn’t have enough of cinnamon flavor. It was almost like an extremely mild version of Cinnabon, but it could have used a little more cinnamon. I could tell they used real graham crackers to make it, and I would like to have seen a little more of those as well. Cake Batter was Cake Batter; nothing much changes as far as that goes, but it made for a good divider. As I scraped the cup clean, I thought about all of the good times I’ve had here over the years and all the visits I’ve had with the staff. I’ve seen a lot of faces come and go, but there are a few that have been here from the very beginning. It’s hard to imagine that I won’t be coming in for any more “Two Punch Tuesday” visits or waiting for one of the team members to call and tell me that they have Peanut Butter (they gave me the VIP treatment). Gibson’s was also the first shop in Washington (and I believe the only one) to have a mobile fro-yo truck, and they were always at various local events in the summer. Gibson’s was such a big part of the community, so this is a sad day for sure. Thank you Jim and Judy for all of the fun times and the delicious treats. Tacoma will certainly miss you!

Until we eat again….

Z-

It’s Raining Pumpkin!

    

It’s Saturday and it feels like monsoon season in Washington. It was raining cats and dogs all day, and it was definitely not the best day to be out and about. It would have been more fitting to curl up on the couch with a good book or maybe binge watch something good on tv, but instead Zelda chose to go about her usual routine despite the torrential downpours. I’d been planning a visit to the land of yogurt for the past few days, and I wasn’t about to let a little bit of rain dampen my adventure. Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail…..That’s my motto! The rain was heavy, but I continued with my plan and made my way toward Yogurtland in Kent.

It wasn’t surprising to see that the shop was empty when I arrived although the rain had temporarily stopped by the time I got to Kent. The assistant manager greeted me and was suprised to see me break from my usual Sunday routine, so naturally she wanted to know if I’d still be coming in tomorrow. It’s always possible that I might go a second straight day, but I have a feeling I might end up doing something “refreshing” instead. (Yes, pun intended). Since the shop was quiet, it gave us a chance to have a little bit of time to catch up on the week’s events. You know how Zelda loves her social time! I wasn’t in a big hurry for dessert, but eventually my sweet tooth started knocking at the door and I knew I should answer.

The current promotion is “Top This” which features three flavors: Vanilla Malt, Chocolate Truffle, and Fresh Strawberry. The first two flavors are new releases while Fresh Strawberry is a returning flavor. The flavors don’t exactly have autumn written all over them, but the promotion is geared toward having customers get creative with their toppings instead of focusing on the flavors. There are four categories including Most Decadent, Most Fruit-a-Licious, Most Whimsical, and Most Colossal; customers can submit their masterpieces on Instagram for a chance to win free fro-yo for a year. I’m planning to enter Most Colossal but the entry period isn’t for a few more weeks, so I have a little bit of time. Out of the three promotional flavors, Vanilla Malt is the one that interests me the most. I’ve had it on several occasions but none of them have been as good as the first day I tried it, so I wasn’t sure what today would bring. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it today, so that immediately put a smile on my face. It would be a perfect companion for the flavor that brought me in, Pumpkin Pie. Last weekend’s visit was a bit of a squashed pumpkin fiasco because Pumpkie Pie was well past its prime, and that was rather unfortunate considering there wasn’t much else to choose from. Thank goodness it was back to normal today. None of the other 10 flavors interested me, so my sample session was short and then I was ready to fill the cup.

Pumpkin Pie and Vanilla Malt made Saturday’s delicious duo; Pumpkin Pie had the majority at 75% and was split into two sections while Vanilla Malt made up the remaining 25% and divided the world of Pumpkin Pie. With the pair in place, I stepped over to the toppings bar to pick out a few accompaniments. Pumpkin Pie was sprinkled with crumbled Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal (mainly cinnamon sugar) and NSA dark chocolate bits while Vanilla Malt was the happy recipient of crumbled Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. All of my creations have a basic requirement of cookie dough bites and whipped cream throughout, and then it’s complete. Lucky for me the shop still has some of the promotional spoons from the summer “Sweet Treats” promotion, so I received another teal collectible spoon before taking my seat. All that was left now was to dig in!

Pumpkin Pie was fantastic and had a wonderful spice presence. Out of all the varieties of pumpkin flavored fro-yo, this is definitely my favorite. The spices are noticeable without being overly pungent, and it encompasses the taste of fall. Sometimes I’ll pair it with graham cracker crumbs, but I often choose Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal because I love anything with cinnamon and sugar. It’s scrumptious! Vanilla Malt was light and creamy, blending well with its Pumpkin Pie neighbor. Any time I get a mild flavor like Vanilla or Cake Batter, there’s always a PB topping unless I’m somewhere that doesn’t carry it. That’s a pretty rare occasion, though. Zelda needs her Peanut Butter in one form or another! Bite after savory bite dazzled my taste buds and pleased my palate all the way to the last few drops. No disappointments here! It may have been a long arduous drive in the rain, but it was well worth it. With Sunday just around the corner, Zelda’s looking ahead at what tomorrow will have in store. I think Sunday calls for a “refreshing” encounter in the Emerald City. Any joiners?

Until we eat again….

Z-

A Promotional Strikeout

   

The weekend is here and I’m definitely ready! Fro-Yo Friday calls for a celebration; more specifically a Peanut Butter celebration, so I carefully considered my options and two in particular stood out. The funny thing is that both of them were Menchie’s, one in Olympia (Capital Mall) and one in Lacey (Hawks Prairie). I’ve been to Hawks Prairie a couple of times already this week for Creamy Peanut Butter, so it seemed appropriate that I spend Fro-Yo Friday at Capital Mall for Peanut Buttercup. After all, it is my favorite of all PB flavors! My only hesitation was that I had it on good authority that Cinnabon Classic Cinnamon Roll wouldn’t be arriving until next week, so in order to have PB I would be sacrificing another flavor that I love (and a limited time flavor at that). It’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make, though! As fro-yo hour approached, Zelda headed to the mall for her daily indulgence.

The manager welcomed me in and was glad to see that I came in for Peanut Buttercup. He knows that whenever they have it, I’m sure to stop by and he looks forward to our visits. The shop only had two other customers which was nice because it gave us a chance to chat for a while. He gave me some good news today and said that soon after Peanut Buttercup leaves another PB flavor will arrive, so it looks like I’ll have plenty of opportunities to visit this location. That’s music to my ears! In other interesting news, it looks like this location will not be offering the new fro-yo cakes. I was a little surprised because I didn’t realize it was optional, but evidently it is. This location doesn’t always march to the beat of the corporate drummer, so I guess it’s not too surprising. While we were talking I noticed the familiar pink and green spoons as well as the blue “Menchie the Pirate” spoons from last month’s “Pan” promotion, but there weren’t any color-changing spoons. What?????? I couldn’t believe it! Naturally I questioned it and the manager said that the owner wants them to use the other promotional spoons before putting out the new ones, but he said he would get a set out of the back for me. Yay! It looks like Zelda would have the exclusive utensil at Capital Mall today. All of this talk about fro-yo and spoons was making me hungry, so I decided to grab a few sample cups and see what looked good today.

As expected Cinnabon Classic Cinnamon Roll was not available today, and I was a little surprised to see that Harvest Pumpin wasn’t available either. Talk about a promotional bust! That’s zero for three and a major strikeout. I can only imagine how many people will be disappointed tonight when they go out on their dates tonight and aren’t able to get the promotional flavors or the spoons that have been advertised in recent Menchie’s emails to mySmileage members. I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t have my heart set on Harvest Pumpkin or Cinnabon today! I noticed that the shop still has all four of the promotional flavors from last month’s “Pan”, so I was excited about having Pan’s Pixie Dusted Sugar Cookie once more. The shop always keeps I Dream Of Cookies ‘n’ Cream in stock, so that was another of today’s contenders. Unfortunately the sample proved to be a little grainy and more chocolatey than it should be, so I had to decide whether to skip it or tolerate its imperfection. There weren’t any other flavors to tempt me, so my sample session ended after three and then I grabbed a “Pan” collectible cup.

Peanut Buttercup was joined by Pan’s Pixie Dusted Sugar Cookie and I Dream Of Cookies ‘n’ Cream with Peanut Buttercup having the majority at 60% while its companions each saw a modest 20% of the cup. With the flavors in place, I stepped over to the toppings bar to pick out a few accompaniments. Peanut Buttercup was paired with Hershey’s Special Dark chocolate chips, Pan’s Pixie Dusted Sugar cookie saw its first ever pairing with Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and I Dream Of Cookies ‘n’ Cream was the happy recipient of crumbled Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. All of my creations have two requirements of cookie dough bites and whipped cream which were added throughout the cup to make it complete. As I put the finishing touch on my treat, the manager presented me with a set of color-changing spoons. My eyes lit up and I quickly grabbed my favorite table, preparing to dig in.

Peanut Buttercup was today’s highlight with Pan’s Pixie Dusted Sugar Cookie coming in second. Peanut Buttercup was rich and indulgent in all its decadent glory, and every bite was intoxicating. Pan’s Pixie Dusted Sugar Cookie was sweet and creamy, and it was nice to have Cinnamon Toast Crunch for a change as opposed to its usual partner of crumbled Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. It’s definitely a better suited topping I think, but most Menchie’s locations no longer carry it. I Dream Of Cookies ‘n’ Cream was nothing to dream about because it was too chocolatey and the texture was grainy, so it was a bit of a disappointment. Had there been another flavor I was interested in I wouldn’t have thought twice about skipping it, but I really wanted a third flavor today and this was the only viable option. It wasn’t terrible, but let’s just say that I was glad when I took the last bite of it and was able to focus on the other two. Within a matter of minutes the cup was empty and my “Astronaut Menchie” spoon had nothing else to do but sit and look cute. It may not have been the best tasting adventure of my week, but whenever there’s Peanut Buttercup involved it can’t be all bad….right? I do know one thing, though. I was the only person in the shop with a magical color-changing spoon!

Until we eat again….

Z-

Feeling A Little On The Fruity Side?

    

The weekend continues and so does the cool fall weather. Zelda spent her Sunday having lunch at her favorite restaurant in Tukwila, and being that far north always opens up a few extra possibilities for dessert. Typically it results in a trip to Yogurtland in Kent, but I didn’t rule out driving to Yogurtland in Bellevue because the lineup is much better. It’s an extra 20 minutes north, so that tacks on another 40 minutes round trip. It takes a certain bit of dedication; or cravings! Then I was rather tempted to return to Refresh in Capitol Hill after having such a fantastic grand opening experience yesterday. In the end Zelda wanted her Yogurtland and convenience, so I opted for the Kent location.

The assistant manager welcomed me in with a smile and was glad to see I continued my usual Sunday pattern. She’s usually working on Sunday and always looks for me since she knows this is the one day of the week that I usually stop by. Any other days during the week are just a bonus! The shop wasn’t very busy, but I claimed my favorite table just in case it got busy before I was ready to sit down. I guess you could say I’m a creature of habit but I have a special table that I sit at in every shop I frequent. It’s kind of like Norm and Cliff on Cheers, and you wouldn’t know what to think if you saw them sitting somewhere else in the bar. I spent a little bit of time chatting before finally grabbing a few sample cups and heading toward the machines. There are 12 flavors at this location, only two of which I was particularly interested in. I always prefer to have at least three in the cup if possible, so I searched the lineup for a third option. Toasted Coconut didn’t really strike me today and was quickly ruled out. I rarely get Pistachio, so I didn’t even take the time for a sample and kept looking. With only eight flavors left to choose from, half of which are fruity or sorbet and the other half chocolate and vanilla, that doesn’t leave me with much. I very rarely choose a fruity flavor, but Fresh Strawberry had an appealing taste and seemed like a good choice. Stranger things have happened, I suppose! The flavors were decided, and I was ready to fill my cup.

Pumpkin Pie made its way into the cup before anyone else, followed by Vanilla Malt as my divider flavor, and finishing with Fresh Strawberry. Pumpkin Pie and Fresh Strawberry had the larger shares compared to the modest amount of Vanilla Malt. Now it was time to pick out a few yummy toppings for the trio. Pumpkin Pie was given graham cracker crumbs and crushed Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, Vanilla Malt was paired with carob chips as well as crumbled Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and Fresh Strawberry was the lucky recipient of NSA dark chocolate bits. All of my creations have two specific additions of cookie dough bites and whipped cream to make it perfect, and after utilizing a coupon today’s dessert was free. Hooray for free fro-yo! The shop still has some of the promotional spoons from summer, so I collected another purple one and made my way to my favorite table. Time to indulge!

Pumpkie Pie was delicious and definitely more enjoyable than Thursday’s visit. It had a fresh taste and a nice texture. Vanilla Malt was still not as creamy as it should have been but has definitely improved. I’m still hoping to recapture the perfection of the first day I had it, though. The first time I tried it was amazing, but the subsequent encounters have been more on the mediocre side. Fresh Strawberry was a nice change of pace and was quite flavorful. I hardly ever get anything fruity, but every once in a while I’ll take a walk on the wild side and stray from the norm. Today was one of those days, and thankfully there were no regrets. It might be a while before I get it again, but at least I enjoyed it today!

As the weekend comes to a close, it’s time to start looking forward to the week’s adventures. It wouldn’t be me if there wasn’t some PB involved, so you can rest assured I’ll be following the PB trail a fair amount of the time. There are still a few days left in September, so it’s possible that there might also be a chance to enjoy the featured flavors at Menchie’s. I’m not holding my breath, though. The collectible spoons have already started to vanish, and it won’t be long before the flavors are a thing of the past. With their departure will come two amazing flavors for October, and I for one can’t wait!

Until we eat again….

Z-

A Funny Pumpkin And A Not-So-Creamy Malt

    

Thursday’s here once again and that means a trip to Seattle for Zelda. I missed going last week since I was just returning from a journey to Portland, but I’m back on the scene and ready for action. Thursdays in Seattle have paled in comparison to what they once were simply because there are no longer any Yogurtland locations in the Emerald City. Up until February a trip to Seattle always ended with a visit to the land of yogurt, and once the UW location abruptly closed I altered my routine and either went to another Seattle fro-yo shop or ventured to Yogurtland in Kent. I’ve been to Menchie’s for the past three days, so I was definitely overdue for a Yogurtland adventure. After finishing my business downtown, I took a quick side trip to Kent for a sweet Yogurtland delight.

The shop was practically empty when I arrived except for two customers, so it was quiet and inviting. Just the way I like it! The assistant manager welcomed me in and was surprised to see me since she usually sees me on the weekend. You can never be too sure where Zelda will end up on any given day, though. We always enjoy having a little bit of time to chat during my visits, so I waited before grabbing a few sample cups. The shop has 12 flavors to choose from as opposed to the normal 16 of most Yogurtland locations, so it’s not as big of a selection as I’d like. Once you’ve had the cream of the crop, it’s hard to settle for anything less! The current promotion is “Top This” which features three flavors and encourages customers to use their imagination to create their ideal masterpiece in categories of “Most Decadent”, “Most Whimsical”, “Most Fruit-a-Licious”, and “Most Colossal” for submission on Instagram. The prize? A year of free fro-yo! Who couldn’t use that? There are three flavors in the promotion, two of which are brand new. Chocolate Truffle and Vanilla Malt debuted last Monday to join Fresh Strawberry which is a longtime Yogurtland flavor. Chocolate Truffle is a little too chocolatey for me, but Vanilla Malt is rather tasty as far as Vanilla flavors are concerned. Out of the other nine, there was only one that interested in; Pumpkin Pie which recently returned just in time for fall. After a quick taste test of both, my lineup was decided.

I kept it rather simple today; Pumpkin Pie and Vanilla Malt united in a 50-50 ratio, and then it was ready for a few toppings. Pumpkin Pie was paired with crushed Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal while Vanilla Malt received crumbled Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups as well as dark chocolate bits. It sounds good, right? It wasn’t finished yet, though. All of my creations have two basic components of cookie dough bites (crumbs mostly) and whipped cream, so both were added before heading to the scale. When it was time to pick a spoon, I was excited to see that the shop still has two different spoons from the previous “Sweet Treats” promotion; purple and red. Zelda went with purple today and then grabbed her favorite table. Time to enjoy!

I’ll be honest; today’s dessert didn’t wow me as much as I had hoped. Pumpkin Pie had a slightly odd taste that I couldn’t put my finger on, and Vanilla Malt wasn’t as smooth as it should have been. When I was here on Sunday I noticed that Vanilla Malt was a lot firmer than it should have been, and there was a definite lack of creaminess. While it was 10 times better today, it still wasn’t up to standard. It’s kind of funny because I’ve had this flavor three times now and only once has it been absolutely drool worthy. The second and third time left something to be desired, so I’m beginning to wonder if it was a one hit wonder. Let’s hope not! While today may not have been the perfect encounter I was hoping for, I still ended up with an empty cup and a happy sweet tooth. Let’s hope Fro-Yo Friday gives Zelda something to really rave about….wait, does that mean the weekend is almost here?

Until we eat again….

Z-