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As sunshine teases Southern Oregon with visions of summer, some already are feeling the first cool cravings for frozen yogurt, ice cream and gelato. Frozen yogurt is by no means a novelty anymore, but Yogurt Hut's self-serve yogurt buffet is. The new, independent yogurt shop was established by George and Susan Orrego at 140 Lithia Way in Ashland in May 2009. Within a year, the couple had opened a second branch in Medford, at 1345 Center Drive. Intrigued by rumors of the "hip" new frozen yogurt spot, my husband and I had our weekly date night at the Medford Yogurt Hut. At 10 p.m., we were surprised to find no fewer than 20 people inside the tropical-themed shop. The Orregos feature 10 flavors at a time, including low- and nonfat, no sugar added and nondairy options, as well as 40 topping choices, so there's sure to be something to please young and old, sweet tooth and health nut. "You can make it as healthy or as unhealthy as you like," George Orrego says. Three cup sizes are available — 16 ounces, 20 ounces and 32 ounces, which I can only presume is for families or someone suffering through an extremely stressful day. You'll pay 39 cents an ounce for whatever you choose. Don't be deceived by the large cups — what looks like a little could cost a lot. I decided to indulge myself and selected nonfat alpine vanilla and cable car chocolate which I topped with a spoonful of crushed Heath bar and a pump of hot fudge. My 12 ounces of guilty pleasure cost about $4.50. Sean took the fruity route and selected pomegranate raspberry and mango tango, both nondairy sorbets, which he topped with fresh mango, pineapple and kiwi. His concoction weighted close to 13 ounces and cost nearly $5. Cable car chocolate was quite comparable in flavor to a Fudgesicle, while the alpine vanilla reminded me more of white chocolate. Sean and my combinations were equally delightful. However, I will advise you to be wary of hot fudge on frozen yogurt. The heat tends to transform the yogurt into something quite watery. That night I could have chosen from flavors that included peanut butter, low-fat red velvet cake, no-sugar-added vanilla, nonfat island banana, root beer float and original tart, which carries the most yogurt-like flavor. Four flavors are replaced monthly with new YoCream flavors. Servers are available to offer samples or helpful suggestions about flavors that don't, shall we say, go well together. Toppings ranged from almonds, granola and cereal to gummy worms, cookie dough, brownie chunks and marshmallows. A cold tray in the center contains seasonal fresh fruits and a variety of syrups. If you're not looking for a vast selection of toppings and flavors, or frozen yogurt for that matter, Mix Sweet Shop on the Ashland plaza offers a handful of a delectable house-made ice creams. The house-made ice creams are closer in flavor and texture to premium ice creams such as Haagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry's — creamy and dense with more distinct flavors than you'll find in a supermarket tub. Mix discontinued its popular artisan gelato to make room for the new ice creams. The new recipes feature only local ingredients and organic dairy products. The owner, Jamie North, says she has experimented with several new flavors, including salted caramel, honey lavender, mint dark chocolate, Stumptown coffee and dark chocolate chip, which I tried on a recent weekend in Ashland. Yum. North also used Pennington Farms berries to make rhubarb and raspberry sorbet, which she discovered is a pleasant combination. You'll only need to look as far as Case Coffee for a dish of gelato. The cafe, located directly across from Southern Oregon University, added gelato to its espresso fare last summer. About 10 Palazzolo artisan flavors are offered at a time. Available in a cup for $2.50 to $3.95, depending on the size, or in a mini waffle cone for $1.50. Look for other summertime frozen treats at Mama Mia Gelateria, 157 W. California St., Jacksonville; Deli Yogurt Delight, 2362 Poplar Drive, Medford; Cold Stone Creamery, 635 Medford Center, Medford; and Phil's Frosty, 22161 Highway 62, Shady Cove — a mandatory stop after an afternoon of rafting the Rogue River. — Teresa Thomas