Pinkberry Happy Hour

Hello, hello, fitnessandfroyo followers! How are things going on y’all’s end? I’m savoring every last moment of my last week of “freedom,” but earlier today I did something not-so-smart. I decided to tackle my 40-minute recovery run, as prescribed by Houston Fit, at 1:30 in the afternoon. In Houston, Texas. On what felt like a 100+ degree day. Let’s just put it this way. I lasted precisely 29 minutes before giving in and calling it a day. But let me explain my thought process to you guys before you go thinking I’m fully crazy. My thought process was that it’s a recovery run, which means I won’t be running at my fastest pace, so therefore the heat won’t even be noticeable. Ha, yeah. I tried to find as much shade as possible while I was running, but I eventually had to call it quits and walk myself the rest of the way home. Which might have been just as worse, but I figured it was better that I keep moving, instead of stopping to rest and letting the heat just attack me. It was kind of a rough afternoon, but I then hit the pool and swam a few laps in lieu of the recovery run that I didn’t quite finish, and I felt so much better. And I learned that just because I have afternoons off, doesn’t mean I should cross a run off of my to-do list at that time. It’s certainly worth getting up early to squeeze in a run before it gets too unbearably hot, rather than feel like passing out in the heat of the day.

Which is why the next part of my day came at the perfect time. But let me back up a little bit. Elle and Ashley, who work together at ETBFit, reached out to me about the possibility of covering Pinkberry’s Summer Happy Hour on my blog. And while I immediately jumped at the opportunity – free frozen yogurt? Yes, please. – a few weeks of working volleyball camps, coupled with a few out-of-town trips, left me unable to make it over to Pinkberry until today. The last week of Summer Happy Hour. Which is a huge bummer because happy hour is one heck of a deal. You get half off any medium or large Pinkberry between the hours of 5 and 7pm. Which means a medium Pinkberry with toppings is a mere $3.22. Just try and beat that.

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Pinkberry is easily my favorite frozen yogurt establishment, though I know some people dock some points for the pure fact that it’s not self-serve. That doesn’t bother me, in fact, it’s probably for the best that someone else is in control of how much frozen yogurt I consume. Anyway, Pinkberry has the most limited flavor selection of all of Houston’s frozen yogurt establishments, but in my opinion, they’re the best. It’s clearly quality over quantity here at Pinkberry. And, the flavors rotate. They’re seasonal, if you will. Think Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte. Of course, they have their staples, such as: original – the perfect combination of sweet and tart, and chocolate hazelnut – one of my personal favorites, but the rest of the flavors rotate. Many of them are tart and fruity, but there will always be a sweet flavor or two.

Apparently they cater weddings. Just saying. (Source)

But this post is about two of their summer flavors: Blueberry and Strawberry Margarita. Which I’m sure taste just fine by themselves, but together, they are nothing short of a dream. And you guys know that I have high frozen yogurt standards. Strawberry Margarita is an alcohol-free fruity, citrus flavor made with real strawberries and lime juice. I personally didn’t do this, but you can choose to add Pinkberry’s triple berry sugar salt topping for a fun margarita-like experience. I didn’t taste the lime, but it also wasn’t straight strawberry. There was a little something extra to it, which certainly made it reminiscent of a strawberry margarita. Blueberry is a fresh and fruity flavor made with real blueberries, and they taste just like summer should. Tart and fruity with the perfect hint of sweet. I could actually see hints of real blueberries, which makes it an instant summer favorite. Strawberry margarita was more tangy and tart, while the blueberry flavor had a hint of sweet to it, which is what pairs the two flavors together so well.

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Top with fruit – strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries were my fruit of choice – or something a little more indulgent – chocolate chips would be my first pick – for the most refreshing summer treat. I know I can speak for all of Texas when I say this, but the idea of eating anything that requires heating is almost unfathomable; therefore, the colder, the better.

So do yourself a favor – get out of the sun, decide to treat yourself, and head on over to a participating Pinkberry this week to take advantage of their unbeatable happy hour. I’ll take half off frozen yogurt over half off alcoholic drinks any day of the week. And while you’re there, take advantage of these limited-time flavors, cooling off with a refreshing cup of blueberry, strawberry margarita, or a combination of the two. That last one is especially recommended.