Bought Milk? Refunds Available As Part of Class Action Suit

Time Magazine is reporting on a class action settlement against dairy producers from 2003 to the present and Arizona is one of the states where individuals are eligible to receive $10 to $20 dollars (Time Magazine is reporting $70 - the amounts may depend on how many people submit a claim) and entities can receive up to $560 by filing a claim at http://www.boughtmilk.com/.

Adding another wrinkle to the mix is the press release by The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), which states while Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) admits to no wrongdoing, "CWT will pay $52 million to the plaintiff class in a combination of cash and in-store loyalty cards to be used for the purchase of fresh milk products."  So maybe cash? Maybe gift cards?  The Bought Milk site gives cash denominations so we will go with that for now.

All you need to have done over the last 14 years to receive your portion of the $52 million dollar settlement is to have made a purchase of, "milk or fresh milk products, including cream, half & half, yogurt, cottage cheese, cream cheese, or sour cream."  

Additionally, if you are part of an entity such as a school or after-school program, and you purchased the above mentioned dairy products and did not charge students or participants for them, you are eligible to receive between $280 to $560. 

Sadly, the reason why this suit was brought is disturbing: 

"This lawsuit alleges that Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) and its members attempted to limit the production of raw farm milk by prematurely slaughtering more than 500,000 cows, in order to illegally increase the price of milk and other fresh milk products."

Not to fear though, NMPF wants you all to know:

“The CWT Program is poised for a quick rebound and a strong future. We will continue to focus on CWT’s present mission of providing member cooperatives with export assistance, creating new export market opportunities and continuing to look for innovative ways to increase sales of milk and dairy products for participating cooperatives.”

It sounds to me like looking for "innovative ways to increase sales of milk and dairy products" is what got them in trouble in the first place.  For my money, just focus on providing a good product with some kind of ethical standards.

Cold Stone & Baskin-Robbins Roll Out New Items

Locally headquartered in Scottsdale, Cold Stone Creamery is now offering five new yogurt based items for a limited time.  The first three are part of the Yogurt Creations line and the last two are Yogurt Shakes:

• Strawberry Crumble- Dreamy Vanilla Yogurt mixed with juicy Strawberries and Graham Cracker Pie Crust
• Chocolate Banana Indulgence- Gratifying Chocolate Yogurt mixed with fresh Bananas and rich Fudge
• Berries Upon Berries- Luscious Raspberry Yogurt mixed with sweet Strawberries and Blueberries
• Shake Them Berries- Divine Vanilla Yogurt blended with sweet, juicy Strawberries, Raspberries and Blueberries
• Powered By Chocolate- Enticing Chocolate Yogurt blended with rich Fudge

Meanwhile, Baskin-Robbins is celebrating March Madness with their 3-Point Chocolate Ice Cream which is made of "chocolate flavored ice cream with a salty caramel ribbon and orange-colored caramel pretzel balls."  Only around until the end of the month, the 3-Point Chocolate can be ordered in sundae form:

The 3-Point Chocolate Sundae is also available all month long as a decadent combination of 3-Point Chocolate ice cream, hot fudge, Reese’s® Peanut Butter Sauce, crushed Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and whipped cream.

Check the links for nutritional information at Cold Stone Creamery and Baskin-Robbins.

Pinkberry Coming to Arizona?

For sometime now, I have wondered aloud why Pinkberry refused to cross the California border into Arizona while managing to make it to 19 other states and 15 other countries.  You can imagine my fury then yesterday when I read this press release referring to Pinkberry expanding into the Las Vegas area.  Not that I won't want a good cup of Pinkberry yogurt when I find myself in Sin City, but I thought once again, Arizona was being gipped.

After calming myself and doing some digging however, I've found some great news, a watershed moment for those of us in the Grand Canyon State.  Pinkberry will be opening their first Arizona location at the University of Arizona's Student Union Memorial Center in Tucson.  Slated to open on February 14, 2012, the 100th anniversary of Arizona becoming a state, (yeah, and Valentine's Day), at 10am, Pinkberry will be offering six unique flavors:

...the signature flavor, a sweet and tangy yogurt; pomegranate, a bold and tangy flavor made with 100 percent California-grown pure pomegranate juice; salted caramel, a blend of salty and sweet; a rich, indulgent chocolate; mango, a fruity and light flavor made with authentic Alphonso mango puree; and blood orange, a fresh and tangy featured flavor that rotates seasonally.

Now, I haven't been to a Pinkberry in sometime and unless they have changed, the one major difference they have to other froyo shops is that they serve and top the yogurt for you since they do not charge by weight.

Whatever the case, my fury has abated for now.  If this is a peace offering from Pinkberry, I will accept for the time being, but let's hope this is the beginning of many more openings in the state, including the Phoenix metro area.  

UofA Student Union Memorial Center - 1303 E. University Blvd. Tucson, AZ 85719

TCBY Makes 2 Flavors Permanent, Introduces 3 Limited Time Options

TCBY announced today the permanent addition of two well-received flavors over the past few months. Those two flavors are Red Velvet Cake and Caramel Supreme.

Joining Red Velvet Cake in the core line-up is Caramel Supreme soft serve for those who crave that distinct flavor invented by the Italians before the 18^th century. Both fro-yo flavors are 98 percent fat free, and qualify for the brand’s Super Fro-Yo classification

In terms of new flavors, TCBY will begin selling Pumpkin Pie yogurt starting tomorrow and going through the end of October. In addition, the two flavors of Eggnog and Gingerbread will be sold during the months of November and December. Each of the new flavors contain, "seven live active cultures, calcium, protein, fiber, and Vitamins A, C, and D," are made with real dairy yogurt and are said to be 98% fat free.

The vast majority of TCBY locations in Arizona seem to be at Chase Field and Sky Harbor Airport. However, for those of you that do not know, there are six shops in the state that are not at the stadium or the airport. Those locations include three in the Phoenix area and one each in Flagstaff, Tucson and Prescott. Check here for your nearest TCBY location.

Yogurtini Now Open in Downtown Phoenix, Planning Another Location

Yogurtini recently opened their fifth location in downtown Phoenix inside the CityScape development at 1 E. Washington St. #180 Phoenix, AZ 85044. The self-serve yogurt shop is also planning on opening a sixth location in the near future in the area of West Happy Valley Road & the I-17 at the Shops at Norterra.

Yogurtini was started in Tempe, AZ by Natasha and Chelsey Nelson. There are 16 flavors and over 70 toppings available daily with at least one non-dairy and one no sugar added flavor. Below is a list of the other current locations:

• 720 S. Rural Rd. #120 Tempe, AZ 85281
• 5870 W. Thunderbird Rd. #A3 Glendale, AZ 85306
• 9120 E. Indian Bend Rd. #E1 Scottsdale, AZ 85250 (Google maps incorrectly places this after the Loop 101 going east, it is actually located next to the UltraStar Cinemas)
• 475 E. Bell Rd. #170 Phoenix, AZ 85022

'Food Truck Day' at Whole Foods in North Scottsdale Tomorrow

If you've spent anytime in southern California, there's a good chance you've come across something of this nature. On Thursday, May 19th, from 11am - 1:30pm in the Whole Foods parking lot located at 8688 E. Raintree Dr. Scottsdale, AZ 85260, the Phoenix Street Food Coalition is teaming up with the supermarket to have their first "Food Truck Day." The event is billed as a chance to "change your typical lunch plans" and choose from a variety of foods.  Here is a list of participating vendors:

• Beet StrEat - Local foods from local producers
• Bella Strada - Italian
• Carte Blanc Gourmet Tacos - Mexican
• Jamburritos - Cajun
• Phoenix Cheesesteak Company - Cheesesteak
• Sweet Republic - Ice Cream, Sorbet, Yogurt
• Short Leash Hot Dogs - Specialty Hot Dogs
• Torched Goodness - Creme Brulee