There are certain concepts that were sprung from the genius of madmen, pregnant women and entrepreneurs. They are the kind of ideas that leave you fawning and giddy, marvelling at their brilliance.  Or possibly, the kind of ideas that leave you fat, happy, and ready for a nap.  Enter my current addiction – MENCHIES!!

Menchies is basically a cross between a soft serve frozen yogurt station and a Bulk Barn…that gives free unicorns to orphans.  At least, that’s my perception as a woman who is 37 weeks pregnant and suffering through the current heat wave with limited grace and vigor.  When you walk in to the (gloriously air conditioned) store, there are anywhere between 12-16 paired flavors on the wall to choose from, either alone or swirled together.  You grab a generously sized cup or a waffle cone and then go to town.  There are also wee little portion cups set up beside the fro-yo for a bit of “try before you buy”, giving you the opportunity to sample that sugar-free strawberry banana before committing to adding the flavor to the rapidly growing mound in your cup.  Then, over on the side, you have the Topping Station with everything from fresh fruit and nuts to candy and confection, syrups and sauces, and everything in between…with a cherry on top.

The American franchise is relatively new to the Canadian market and we only “discovered” Menchies within the last few months as the storefronts started popping up around the greater Toronto area.  The good news is that Menchies plans rapid continued expansion into Canada and throughout the Western provinces.  I say, faster pussycat! Chill, chill! Already, Menchies has developed the kind of cult following that has my colleagues whispering together in hushed tones,”Have you had the honeydew sorbet? I mean…oh. My. God.  I am going back tonight.”

They say that your first will always have a special place in your heart, and so I present you with my very first ever Menchies experiment:  I believe this was caramel apple, cake batter and red velvet frozen yogurt with a generous helping of fresh fruit, toasted coconut, Nerds, mango “popping balls” and a bit of caramel sauce…just because.  This was the swamp water of frozen yogurts, and utterly delicious.

On days when I can maintain a degree of dignity, I opt for more classic combinations like the peanut butter swirled with chocolate frozen yogurt, chocolate sauce, peanut butter sauce, chopped nuts and a chunk of brownie, just because I can.

But more often than not, my bowl is a terrifying agglomeration of disparate flavors and textures, topped off with everything from mini-marshmallows and Oreo bits to Corn Pops and peach slices.

And it is divine.

This is the kind of stuff that I hide from my midwife.  She asks me if I’ve been watching my fats and sugars and I stammer something about the chopped salad that I had for lunch.  Then, she points imperiously at the scale, which I know that I will have to clamber on reluctantly and hope that holding my breath will somehow cull two pounds from the embarrassing total.

I think I have a slightly different interpretation of the tag line, “mix….weigh…..PAY”.

That said, I think I might be making a visit today at lunch. I have a craving for some Original Tart mixed with Pina Colada, topped with toasted coconut, pineapple chunks, marshmallow sauce, cherries and….something else that will make Mike’s toes curl, but I don’t know what!