Friendly's Caramel Waffle Cone Ice Cream Bars

[New for 2024] To be honest, based on Friendly's current lineup, I'm not expecting much from these bars. Last year's ice cream bars were ok, but not so good that they would force me to try these... but I do need me a mowing snack, so let's crack open a box of....

Friendly's Caramel Waffle Cone Ice Cream Bars

caramel ice cream, caramel flavored swirl, and chocolatey waffle cone pieces

Friendly's Unicorn Power Ice Cream

[New for 2022] I can't believe I bought this ice cream. I almost never buy friendly's nowadays, plus it has a sour swirl, and I don't do sour, but you know what? It was only $2.50!

Friendly's Unicorn Power Ice Cream

pint fruity ice cream with sour blue raspberry swirl,

marshmallow ribbon and glitter candy pieces

Kemps JoyFULL Scoops Frozen Yogurt

[New for 2018] It's been a tough week and a long day, so let's do a quick post. Kemps, the midwest folks who seem to put out a new froyo every six months, have merged their froyo love with the current annoying trend of replacement sugar in products to bring down the calorie count. Sorry, you know the sugar replacement trend bugs me more than it should.

JoyFULL Scoops sounds like Lovin Scoopful and Sweet Scoops decided to team up.

I thought the packaging was fairly catchy which is a good thing because I was not expecting to find Kemp's at my local Price Chopper. There were four flavors in all. Mint Chocolate Chip, Sea Salt Caramel, Chocolate Peanut Butter, and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. I was just about to grab that last when I decided to read the ingredients...

Yup, Erythritol and Monk Fruit Extract. No thanks. Nevermind. Look, if you prefer these two over splenda or calories, that's fine by me, that's why I'm pointing these out incase they grab your attention. The poor Yo2 lineup didn't last very long (reviews here and here) so we'll see if this line has better luck. If you wind up trying these, please leave your thoughts in the comments.

Good night! More new stuff tomorrow!

Kemp's Raspberry Cheesecake Yo2 Frozen Yogurt

[Debuted 2016, switched to paper pints late 2018] So the other day I posted my first run in with the new Yo2 (Yo²) lineup from Kemps. After my first scooping of that flavor, I had the kind of mixed feelings that can really only be settled by trying the same product but in a different flavor.

Kemp's Raspberry Cheesecake Yo2 Frozen Yogurt

Cheesecake frozen yogurt with graham crunch and raspberry swirl

Kemp's Salted Caramel Cookie Crunch Yo2

[Debut 2016, switched to paper pints late 2018]
So Kemps has decided to launch a new frozen yogurt line at the end of 2016. This is not the most common thing to do, especially if you consider that Kemps already has two other froyo lines. Maybe they are trying to get a jump on 2017 or maybe they... I have no idea why really. Whatever it is, they've got this new "flavor squared" lineup called Yo² and it's coming to a Wegmans or other grocery store near you. It's got a fancy clear design to show off its plentiful swirl. There are six flavors in all, I picked up two of them, and we're going to start with...

Kemp's Salted Caramel Cookie Crunch Yo² Frozen Yogurt

Vanilla frozen yogurt with shortbread cookies,
chocolaty chunks and salty caramel swirl

IttiBitz Cotton Candy Ice Cream

Have you ever had Dippin Dots? Well, Kemps has a clone called "IttiBitz" and there are currently 8 flavors available. I first reviewed IttiBitz a mighty seven years ago. They didn't leave a very good impression but things have been so very slow and the bitz were only a dollar a cup so I decided to try them again. The funny thing is that very day I bought these, someone left a comment on that old review about how bad this flavor is.

IttiBitz Cotton Candy Ice Cream

"Sweet cotton candy taste captured in tiny, delicious bits of ice cream"

Kemps Frozen Yogurt Shop Vanilla Salted Caramel

[New for 2015] With four new Kemps Froyo Shop flavors available, we've already covered C&C and PB Cup, so let's dig in to the "trendy" one.

Kemps Vanilla Salted Caramel Frozen Yogurt Shop

vanilla frozen yogurt with salted caramel revel with dark and white chocolate curls topping

Kemps Frozen Yogurt Shop Peanut Butter Cup

[By Nick, New for 2015] ‎Dubba has already covered one of these fancy new froyos from Kemp so it's my turn to see what they're all about. He took the most appealing option to me but hey, I'm all for reviewing something when peanut butter is involved.

Kemps Frozen Yogurt Shop Peanut Butter Cup

Chocolate Frozen Yogurt with a Thick Peanut Butter Swirl

and Chunks of Peanut Butter Cup Topping

Kemp's Frozen Yogurt Shop Cookies 'n Cream

[New for 2015] We've tried Kemps froyo on the blog a few times over the years, but now there is a new frozen yogurt shop lineup that kind of looks like Breyers gelato and comes in four flavors. We've got peanut butter cup, vanilla salted caramel, raspberry and chocolate, and....

Kemp's Frozen Yogurt Shop Cookies 'n Cream

vanilla froyo with a chocolaty swirl topped with cookie pieces

Kemps Denali Peppermint Bark Moose Tracks FroYo

[By Nick, New for 2014] This might be one of the products I've been most looking forward to trying this year. Ever since Moose Tracks announced they would be offering this recipe back in the Summer to companies to produce, I've been on the lookout for potential brands to make it. Honestly, I wasn't expecting it to find it as a frozen yogurt let alone Kemp's being the only one in my area to produce it. I mean I've seen their normal frozen yogurts around me for years and Dubba has reviewed some of them. I didn't know they released limited editions and wasn't expecting any place near me to carry them. That was until I stumbled into a random Shop Rite and saw this flavor next to their other limited edition, Cinnamon (that I passed up on). Knowing I wasn't going to be near a freezer though, I knew I had to come back and claim my prize.

Kemps Denali Peppermint Bark Moose Tracks Frozen Yogurt

peppermint flavored frozen yogurt with 

crunchy peppermint bark and famous moose tracks fudge

Kemps Black Jack Cherry Frozen Yogurt

Wow.... over three years since a Kemps review... my word how time has passed. They make a lot of products in the midwest, but in my defense, the only Kemps products around me are frozen yogurts, and it's rare for me to see anything beyond a handful of standard flavors. Kemps had pretty much passed out of my radar until I was reading up on last year's ice cream sales. Apparently the $350 million froyo market was up 21% last year, led by store brands, healthy choice (really??), Ben & Jerry's, and then Kemps at almost $30 million in sales [reference, though I think Dreyers/Edys should be in there] . Keeping in mind that US ice cream sales are at $5.5 billion with another $4.2b for novelties, so 30 mil is a small number, but I still feel like I should try something by them.... and then pawn it off on my wife.

Kemp's Black Jack Cherry Low Fat Frozen Yogurt

(one of those descriptionless flavors)

Oh man, this free IttiBitz App is terrible!

I am a very firm believer that you get what you pay for, meaning I should expect nothing from a free iPhone app, but man, this one is just terrible.

Here's level one from the IttiBitz® Ice Cream Fun Factory (built with GameSalad). All you have to do is slide the bowl back and forth with your finger and try to catch the IttiBitz that are falling. To spice things up, you have to avoid catching the mint (green) IttiBitz. Sometimes the bitz bounce off those little grey circles/pins and go off in a different direction... oh the excitement!

Decisions I question:

1. Why are there only 3 levels? Why not have a level for every flavor, and then you could show the real product at the end of the round.
2. Why is there a 30 second time limit per round? Boring! give me a number to catch instead.
3. Why is this game horizontal? The balls bounce too quick in this short space. I'd much rather see a vertical game with a smaller bowl.
4. Why can't you control your cup by tilting? that would be more challenging and more fun.
5. Why can't you fail? There is no thrill of victory without the agony of defeat!
6. Why must I be connected to the internet to play? The game loads, but the level won't start without it.

I'm sorry, but this game is horrendous. It feels like it was made by someone who just didn't care. Why put in half the effort? I mean, the little pins don't even change between the three rounds, how lazy is that? What a wasted marketing opportunity. It feels like this game was made in under an hour.

Better free ice cream game apps: Scoops & Spread the Love

Kemp's Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

Grrr, we are backlogged again, so get ready for the worst reviews ever! YEAH for laziness!!

 I said I wasnt going to eat Kemp's frozen yogurt anymore, but man I am hungry and I am like +11 pounds so I gotta find something to cure my ice cream cramps. So, I decided to pick up the very low fat Kemps strawberry frozen yogurt. The great thing about strawberry is that even though few get it right, overall it's pretty hard to mess up.

Kemp's Low Fat Frozen Yogurt Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Let's recap my brief history with Kemp's Frozen Yogurt:
 -First there were those nasty parfaits
 -Determined to expand my horizons, I was pleasantly surprised by
   their Denali Moose Tracks froyo.
 -I got two samples of Kemp's new Fro-zing, but it was too tangy for me
 -I pressed on and dared to try Chocolate Caramel Brownie...
   and was chewily thoroughly disappointed

Now I've got Kemp's low fat Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough frozen yogurt in my fridge, and well... this will probably be the last Kemp's Frozen Yogurt in my fridge for awhile.

The idea is like every other take on this flavor: Vanilla Frozen Yogurt with Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Chocolate Flavored Chunks.

So, what does a buck buy you nowadays? A Kemps Chocolate Eclair

I had to run to the bank at lunch, but I knew I needed a quick snack before heading back to the office. I was tempted to hit Wendy's for some kind of frosty concoction, but some inconveniently placed construction put an end to that idea. So, what's one to do? Hmmm, how about something quick and easy? It's gas station convenience store time.

The place I stopped wasn't huge, but thankfully they did have a small rolling freezer with a few treats in it. I was about to grab a winning Good Humor bar when I noticed Kemp's brand treats, and they're 99 cents to boot. Hmmm, strange, not something I see... ever, and since I'm stingy, the price is right. My choices were fudge bar and chocolate eclair. Eclair it is.

Here is our plain looking treat, nothing fancy

Kemp's Frozen Yogurt Chocolate Caramel Brownie

Now you may remember that I was surprisingly smitten with Kemp's Moose Tracks Yogurt. It wasn't perfect, but it was more than good enough to justify trying another flavor.

So here we are: Kemp's Chocolate Caramel Brownie Premium Frozen Yogurt. For whatever reason, this flavor lacks an exact description ....maybe that way you can't get mad if it doesn't turn out quite right. From the picture I'm guessing chocolate yogurt, brownie chunks, and caramel swirl.

Kemp's Raspberry Vanilla Fro-Zing

As tempted as I was to dive back into the wonderful world of Ben & Jerry, I decided to give Sunday to the lowfat healthy world of frozen yogurt. I know, it wasn't easy to switch gears like that, but Kemp's marketing firm was nice enough to send out two containers of their brand new Fro-Zing! Frozen Tangy Amazingness. Apparently my last enjoyment of their stuff got their attention, though I wonder if they are familiar with this review. Hey, if Kemp's is brave enough to send me tangy yogurt even after I mentioned I don't like tangy yogurt, well then, it's my job as your host to be brave enough to try it.

Kemps Fro-zing Raspberry Vanilla Frozen Yogurt
(Sorry, every picture I took didn't come out right)

Kemps Premium Frozen Yogurt Denail Moose Tracks

Greetings everybody, my aplogies for taking so long to actually post this review. Life has been immensely busy this past week. Most of it comes from the fact that our baby boy was sick and is just now starting to eat and sleep again the way he should, but then toss in a massive project at work (which I could very well be graded on by my new bosses) and you have yourself the makings of an ice cream lover who has found a stunning new treat and can't find the hour or so he needs to share it with you....

Wait, did you just catch my use of the word stunning? You see Kemps frozen yogurt in the title and then you think back to the Kemp's yogurt I was so hard on last year. Was I just too harsh last time? Heck no, I still stand by my findings that those little parfait cups are absolutely disgusting ---BUT--- this is not tart yogurt my friends, this is sweet yogurt, and you're gonna be impressed!

Behold Kemps Premium Frozen yogurt with live & active cultures, oh boy! This is their Moose Tracks flavor, it's artificially flavored vanilla frozen yogurt with peanut butter cups swirled with moose tracks fudge. It even has that Denali "Original" Moose Tracks logo on the container. (I thought someone might have guessed it from the picture, but I freely admit that even though I tried, it still wasn't a very good shot).

IttiBitz Waffle Cone Twist Ice Cream

[Discontinued before 2015] Yet again, I'm a day late and a dollar short. First I'm beaten to the scoop on the unpleasant mochi ice cream, and now I've been scooped while waiting to dig my spoon into IttiBitz, the Dippin' Dots knock off from Kemps. I guess the best news to start with is I picked this up for a buck at Walmart, but I believe they are also a buck (maybe a $1.25) at Shaws (TIB paid $1.49 "on sale", what a rip!)

Ok, I'm getting ahead of myself. Hopefully you've seen dippin' dots before, the flash frozen little tiny balls of ice cream. We use to have a dippin' dots machine at the mall, not sure if it's still there though. There appear to be at least 16 flavors of Itti Bitz, though usually I only see 4-6 flavors at the store. I've been meaning to try them for awhile, and finally an orange labeled container named Waffle Cone Twist was what won me over. I love waffle cone bits, I just can't get enough of them.

Looks intriguing doesn't it? No? Looks like you need to try it at least once? Yeah, that's more like it. Hmmm, If you can't tell, I'm kinda giving away the conclusion to the post already....

MISTREAT of the Week: Kemp's Frozen Yogurt Parfait White Chocolate Raspberry

Oh man, the other one wasn't a fluke, these things are just

AWFUL

DISGUSTINGHIDEOUS

oh, oh OH am I ever unamused at the moment. What have they done to this poor yogurt? do they let it spoil before they freeze it? I was ready to chalk the one from Walmart up as a fluke, but this one is from Stop & Shop and just as bad. My word, what have they done???? Such a waste because they sound so good: Raspberry frozen yogurt with white chocolate flavored chips.

AVOID THESE AT ALL COSTS.

Disclaimer: Apparently there is a trend towards "TART" yogurts, and I'm probably being too harsh, but to me, it has an unpleasant consistency and strikes me as spoiled, not tart.

Nutrition: 127g: 210 / 45-3.5 / 0 / 3