Froyo for Me! Froyo for you?

Frozen Yogurt is the latest craze to hit the food world. Where once upon a time TCBY had a corner on the froyo world, small shops and chains are popping up just in time for summer like wild fire.

Yogurtland is Disneyland for frozen yogurt lovers.

I’m reminded of Tokyo walking into the wide-open and modern storefront. Along the self-service back wall are stations of multiple flavors to fill your EXTRA LARGE Yogurt cup up. There are no cup sizes, but you fill and then the yogurt is weighed.

Today’s flavors offer a sea of possibilities and combinations. How can you choose just one and what tastes the best together?

My options: Dutch Chocolate made with Ghiradelli chocolate, cookies and crème, vanilla wafer, coconut, New York cheesecake, vanilla, peanut butter, strawberry and even taro. In addition to classic flavors, the store also offers “tart” flavors of mango, blueberry and pomegranate raspberry.

Settling on chocolate and cheesecake for my yogurt base, I move along to the two toppings sections. There are dry options of coconut, chocolate chips, granola, brownie bites, cheesecake bites, M&Ms, sprinkles and more. There are also wet toppings including fresh strawberries, lychee, and even red bean.

To compliment my flavors I add brownie bites, chocolate syrum and fresh strawberries. This is the lowest calorie strawberry and chocolate cheesecake that I’ve ever had. The yogurt is smooth and rich and a refreshing afternoon treat in sunny San Jose, CA.

In addition to the wonderful taste, I have been won over by the adorable and biodegradable pink spoon. This is not a wimpy bite and the green spoon holds up well.

The fiver-year-old chain is only available in Cali, Hawaii, New York, Texas, Arizona and Nevada… can’t Boston get some love? We have cravings too.

Chocolate in California

They say that Aztec emperor Montezuma drank an amazing 50 pitchers of chocolate a day. I would not be surprised that if he had the chance to try one of the drinks at Bittersweet, the small chocolate shop on Filmore street, he may have double that number.

I was tipped off to this shop by a San Franciscan with a serious a dark chocolate jones. I was also warned that from where we met for coffee, the treck to the shop would be up one of San Fran’s steepest hills. Filmore is actually so steep that there are small steps to keep you moving.

The spicy hot chocolate was indeed hot and spicy. The kick of pepper was paired with cinnamon to hit the spot. Rich and velvety, the hot chocolate at Bittersweet remind me of the drinking chocolate at Burdicks.

To compliment my afternoon pick-me-up I selected a marzipan canola from the case. The fudgy chocolate filling rolled in almond marzipan shell and kissed with chocolate ends. Almond and chocolate is always a good combination.

In addition to selling drinks and pastries, Bittersweet specializes in importing unique chocolates from around the world. I was an easy sell for the Dolfin Dark Chocolate Bar with Pink peppercorns. I highly recommend that if you haven’t tried spicy chocolate in one form or another, you should!

Chocolate Chai

When you work at a place called Bread and Cocoa why would you ever be grumpy. The staff at the café is beyond nice. On the quest for breakfast and a morning wakeup I found this bold brown awning screaming for me to enter.

I was greeted with an immediate "hello" from the depths of the story. Surprised by the warm reception, I suddenly was stuck as to what to order. The perky girl behind the counter was open to me asking for suggestions and without hesitation chirped for me to order the Chocolate Chai.

This is a life changing drink. I am a faithful Starbuck’s Chai drinker, but this is a combination of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and rich chocolate. The barista took extra care to fill my cup to the brim.

“Do you want to try it to make sure you like it?” asked the barista.

Silly boy...what’s not to love?

The rich velvety drink floated down my throat with hints of nutmeg and cinnamon. What a Silly barista and fabulous start to my morning.

California Chocolate Pilgrimage

It doesn’t take much to get me to take a trip to a good bakery or chocolatier, but to get the San Francisco’s Ghirardelli Square, I would walk through fire or at least a heck of a hill and then some 40 minutes worth of adventure…both ways.

Following my phone’s GPS dot I made my pilgrimage to North Street and just when I thought I was lost (yet again), in the horizon I could see the iconic clock tour and the large letters that spell Ghiradelli in front of the Bay’s view of the ocean. A flood of relief and excitement swelled inside my belly and was greeted warmly by a lovely man in a blue apron offering me a free sample of Ghirardelli’s rich and smooth chocolate square.

While it is located close to the tourist trap that is Fisherman’s Wharf, Ghirardelli square is a chocolate lovers dream. In addition to the store, there is an ice cream parlor and café.

The brick building is the original historic building of where Domingo Ghirardelli first manufactured his chocolate, however the chocolate is no longer produced here...sad, but there are other sights to be seen… enter Kara’s Cupcakes.

Clean, simple and pink. Kara’s Cupcakes presents pretty little cakes in a no-fuss, no-way these aren’t good way.

The store’s large pink wall features explanations of the cupcakes flavors, but all it takes is a look at the rows of cupcakes to make a selection.

As it is strawberry season, the seasonal flavor is an organic strawberry cream. The moist vanilla cupcake is filled with organic strawberries, which are grown locally, and is topped with a smooth cream cheese frosting. At Kara’s the smallest box fits two cupcakes snuggly…so I selected a chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting and sprinkles (I’m sorry I can’t remember the name) to be the strawberry cake’s new best friend.

I love that Kara, the bakery’s owner is the daughter of a dentist and according to the site’s biography used to hide sweets around the house.

Naughty Chocolate

Any candy that advertises itself as “Naughty but not that Naughty” is enough to perk my interest. Mars’ new candy Fling is a Twix like bar (two in a pack) of either milk chocolate or hazelnut.

Clearly Mars is marketing their latest sweet towards women. The feminine pink and silver package and scripty logo are directly aimed at women in the mood for a “quickie” sweet attack. The feminist in me is appalled at the cheeky commercials that suggest low-calorie chocolate is an affair or sexual experience but alas.



Walgreens, which is just down the corner from my hotel room, sells the milk chocolate flavor. A chocolate honey-comb/meringue textured crust is topped with a fluffy chocolate nugget and then wrapped in milk chocolate… and the nice part…it is only 85 calories per stick.

Unfortunately, Fling is just being launched in California at the moment…but the site promises a quick expansion. I think that depends on how many feathers the commercials ruffle.

A Taste of London...San Francisco Style

San Francisco has 43 named hills. I know this because the lovely cab driver who drove me yesterday from my hotel to Golden Gate Park told me so in his thick Russian accent.
Thank goodness this city is built for calorie burning.

This is a special San Francisco edition of my sweet follies.

Nestled in Union Square on Sutter st. Fiona’s Sweet Shoppe is busting with large glass jars of licorice, lemon drops and toffee. Fiona’s specializes in treats that would tickle Willy Wonka like Humbugs, sherbets, Licorice brooms, and Gobstopping Gingers.

Though slightly expensive because of the import costs, the fizzy hard candy and rich English toffee is worth it. The lovely girl behind the glass counter suggested in an enchanting British accent that I try the chocolate covered licorice. Delightfully dark chocolate melts over the salty black licorice. A wonderful suggestion however, being in the mood for something more fruity, I picked up a pick mix of Rhubarb Custards, West Indian Limes and Cola Cubes.

With the purchase of $10 or more the shop throws in a free Sherbet Fountain. The Fountain is a licorice straw dipped into fizzy powder similar to Pixy Stix powder or Lik a Stix dust.


Fiona’s has been a lovely trip across the pond while still enjoying the California sun.

Peanut Butter M&Ms Get Spring Makeover

It is no secret that Peanut butter M&Ms are my Achilles’ heel… not that it takes much to take me down. But, as the BF likes to tell people, I can easily eat a “medium” bag in one sitting.

Note to the Mars marketing department: Please remove the daily nutrition percentage from the front of the bag. I don’t want to know.

Last week, when refilling our candy dish at work, we stumbled upon a bag of Limited Edition Strawberried Peanut Butter M&Ms. As a tie to the Transformers movie (don’t really get it), Mars has created peanut butter and jelly flavored M&Ms.

Who doesn’t love a good peanut butter and jelly sandwich? I personall take mine with the crust on and the bread toasted.

As for the candy, I was expecting a little bit more strawberry flavor on the inside, but the strawberry is in the coating, not in an additional jam or jelly. There is more flavor in the perfume of the candy then in the pieces.

The candy shells are limited to being red, brown and yellow with red speckles, which means the best part is that there are no blue ones!