I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for… Frozen Yogurt!

Frozen yogurt isn't just a substitute for the ostensively less-healthy ice-cream—it's a food with its own sort of subculture, centered around slathering your bowl of yogurt with numerous toppings and add-ons, from fruit to cereal to chocolate to nuts to candy to… almost anything . We've been to the recently opened Twisters frozen yogurt shop in Novato a few times, and have found that it satisfies the frozen yogurt (and topping) craving.

Twisters opened up this spring in the San Marin Plaza shopping center, at 109 San Marin Drive in Novato. It always seems to be busy, most likely due to a prime location at the confluence of a busy high school, elementary school, and swim/tennis club. At Twisters, it's all about self-serve. You grab a bowl, available in numerous sizes, and fill it with your non-fat yogurt of choice. Then take your bowl over to their huge variety of toppings and pile on the chocolate sauce, gummi bears, Froot Loops, jimmies, peanuts, and what-have-you.

The catch is, you pay by weight. Weigh in your concoction at the cash register and pay 47¢ per ounce for your yogurt and toppings.

Twisters is open daily from 11 am to 9 pm, and it's a welcome addition to the neighborhood. My kids love stopping by there after swim practice for a treat. I like the idea that you can serve yourself and control how much yogurt goes into the bowl. Visit them online at www.twistersfrozenyogurt.com or call (415) 895-5052.