If there's one thing for certain, it's that Hoosiers love our popcorn. I suppose Orville…read moreRedenbacher is to blame. But microwave popcorn, move aside! Time to go back to traditional methods. Hoosier Popcorn has capitalized on the kernel hysteria with their simple yet oh so addictive popcorn. I met the gents at Yelp's Slumber Party at Prairie Guest House, where they made it fresh on the stovetop - my first time eating non-microwaved popcorn. It was so good I ate two servings. Not ashamed. The difference was the sunflower oil topped with sea salt. That's it. No weird flavors, no butter, nothing. You can easily recreate this at home with their ultimate stovetop kit, which includes kernels, oil, and sea salt. Fun fact: sunflower oil is what's used in Skinny Pop, the #1 selling popcorn on the market. Hoosier Popcorn is rather new to the scene, but you can find them at Indy Eleven games and all around the state, from Terre Haute to Lafayette to Richmond and, of course, Indy (Pogue's Run, Goose the Market, Wildwood).

I love all things local, right down to the ingredients of my popcorn. Hoosier Popcorn not only…read moresells local kernels, but also sunflower oil. Combine the two, and you're in for a snack that screams "INDIANA!"

Mr. Lee was such a joy from the moment we walked in the store. He allowed us to try a variety of…read moredifferent flavors. He definitely challenged us if we said we did not like a flavor, before we tried it. He had such a beautiful testimony on how he got started and his journey with the popcorn world. It's a cute and quaint establishment that is there to fit all of your needs. The amount of flavors they have is mind blowing! They make everything by hand and I love that. They were also very mindful of what had any type of allergens versus what did not. Everything I tasted it was delicious and I was surprised because I am a picky eater. I absolutely loved this place and will be back.

You will find this shop in a small Shell gas station strip mall, next to a Shell and a barber shop…read more There is an adequate amount of parking available, but it can get a bit tight. One inside the shop, you will see a photo backdrop a small freezer and some large containers filled with various flavors of popcorn. There were so many flavors including weeding cake, banana pudding, Dorititos, hot cheddar, pineapple, white cheddar, jerk, pizza, watermelon, cap n crunch, and Butterfinger. They remove 90% of the husk from the popcorn that they use. Husk is the part of the popcorn that gets stuck all up in your gums. With so many flavors to choose from, the decision of what to get can be very hard. To assist with the tough decision, visitors are able to sample the flavors. I tried almost all of them. Even though there are over a hundred flavors to choose from, there is usually about to 70 or that are ready and available. You can get your popcorn in four bag sizes: small (3 cups), medium (7 cups), large (14 cups) and XL (26 cups). You can also get it in 1, 2 and 3 gallons. The man that was working the shop during my visit, just happened to also be the owner, Pete Lee. Pete was amazing. He was very welcoming, friendly, energetic, and helpful. Pete let me in on a little secret that he was planning on opening popcorn vending machines that would be going in schools and other spots. The shop already offers fundraising opportunities, and does catering and special events. You may have seen them at the State Fair. If you cannot make it to the shop, don't worry. You can purchase the popcorn online. After filling up on samples, I got a bag of green apple, a bag of cookies and cream, a bag of dirty pickle, and a bag of lemonade watermelon. They were well packaged and delicious. I wish I could give this place a sixth star and I highly recommend checking this place out. I will definitely be back soon.

Groomsville Popcorn is one of Indiana's best kept secrets, though I suppose they're not actually a…read moresecret since they seem to show up everywhere. I regularly encounter Groomsville at downtown Indy's Statehouse Market, a summertime farmer's market/food truck day every Thursday at the Indiana Government Center from 10:30am-1:30pm. Since I work on the IGC campus, Thursdays have become a favorite day. Groomsville Popcorn is grown on a 5th generation family farm in Tipton County, Indiana. The family started growing popcorn seed in 2015 and all the seeds are non-GMO. The farm is actually a Hoosier Homestead Farm that has been in the family over 100 years. Groomsville can be found at a wide variety of farmer's markets, special events, etc. I see them nearly every week, and maybe every week, at Statehouse Market. They offer a variety of popcorn products including a surprising variety of different flavors and seasonings. On their website right now, they have 17 different product options. Categories include popcorn boxes, roasted nuts, microwave popcorn, popped popcorn, popcorn kernels, and popcorn accessories. You can actually buy online! They offer free shipping (except for Hawaii and Alaska) to the U.S. Items are made to order and ship in 4-6 business days. The employees are always friendly at Statehouse Market. It actually took me a while to try them, but now I'm hooked. It's a great product, fair prices, friendly employees, and supporting local. What's not to love?

I got food poisoning from their strawberry lemon shake up at their stand during the Carmel farmers…read moremarket.

South Bend Chocolate was honestly a great surprise. From the second you walk in, it smells amazing,…read morechocolate everywhere. They've got a ton of stuff from bars, sweets, pastries, and even popcorn. Easy to get distracted. Staff was really nice and helped me find what I was looking for. I ordered the hot chocolate... just one sip and wow, I already knew. This jumped straight to the number one spot for me. Best hot chocolate I've had in the States, no question. The flavor was deep and full. You get those darker, slightly nutty notes right away, then it settles into this smooth, creamy finish that just stays with you. Every sip hits the same, and it just keeps pulling you back in. The whipped cream on top melts right into it and adds a little extra sweetness without taking away from the chocolate. The whole drink felt like an experience. I even asked how they make it and found out they use actual chocolate bars... makes sense. 100% worth it. And definitely be coming back for more.

My friend surprised me with a trip to the South Bend Chocolate Factory and I was literally like "a…read morekid in a candy store!" If you aren't smiling from ear to ear when you walk in this place then you need some major therapy because this is place is pure sunshine & joy even on a cold winter day! There are so many different types of chocolates, candies, desserts, coffees, hot chocolate, ice cream and little fancies for any kind of sweet tooth. I got the Cherry Jubilee Hot Chocolate which literally tasted like a warm chocolate covered cherry. It was so divine. Perfect for the cold weather. We got a little assortment of goodies which included candied blueberries, candied cherries, old fashioned toffee bars and dark chocolate covered citrus peels. The blueberries were the perfect pop of fruitiness. Who knew such a little thing could have so much flavor and put a huge smile on your face. The cherries were tart and sweet and so delectable. The chocolate covered citrus pill was the perfect flavor combination. I love orange and chocolate. It was such a treat to go there. The service was great. She was so patient with me because I could not make up my mind. There were so many wonderful things there. I saved every little morsel. Can't wait to go back.

Husband and wife duo offering a variety of flavors. I first became aware of the brand while…read moresupporting a fundraiser. I was pleased to learn it was black owned they also had a storefront. I've tried a variety of flavors over the last couple of years. They're friendly and helpful. You may see them at local farmer's markets as well. Their cheesy caramel is my fave, but I love the Kitchen Sink with sriracha as well. FYI...this visit I was alerted of a small price increase of $1.00 effective August 1. The heads up was appreciated!

This nice little mom and pop popcorn shop on the near east side close to Broad Ripple. My husband…read moreoccasionally brings home some of their popcorn from Kennys Barbershop and he loves it. I wasn't aware that they had a storefront until I found them at the 16 Amp farmers market. Im not a huge popcorn fan myself but once I sampled the Buttered Rum flavor I had to have it. They have some odd hours and because of the location they keep the door locked so you have to ring the bell but if you are in the area definitely stop by and check them out.

While I love having a shop with chocolates nearby, I'm not typically the biggest fan of chains, and…read morethe prices here are sky high. They do have individual chocolates available by the pound, ice cream, and packaged/ gift chocolates. Last time I also saw some caramel apples covered in a variety of crazy sweet toppings. If you're desperate for some chocolate and on Mass Ave, go for it. I'll take it over grocery store shelves of chocolate, but be prepared to spend big for a tiny amount.

The peppermint ice cream drew me in from the Mass Ave sidewalk since that's my favorite ice cream…read moreflavor and usually a limited time treat. Kilwins is a chocolate or sweet lover's dream. Chocolate treats, ice cream, fudge you got it! There's also packaged treats that would make nice gifts. Spied a chocolate train that we thought our kiddo would love. The ice cream price was rich but didn't regret getting the strawberry ice cream with real strawberries. Service was incredibly kind and helpful. Venue bright and clean but didn't see any seating. That was ok with us as we needed to walk off the treats :)

Love these types of soda and candy shops where there's all types and flavor of sodas that you can…read morethink of. We end up leaving with a 6 pack of different flavor ginger ales and root beers along with a mix of candy.

Driving down to go grab some dinner from Barbeque and bourbon we saw this place on the right hand…read moreside of the street. I knew I wanted to stop in. We placed our order and walked down the street to kill some time while waiting. It immediately put me in the mind of rocket fizz. It had such a cool vibe about it. I had been looking for Triple XXX rootbeer in its usual spots but had not been able to find it. I had to grab a 4 pack, then I came across nehi peach and grape soda. When I tell you they had all of the soda you could think of. They did. Candy as far as the eye can see. Awesome vintage signage... you name it. It brought back child hood with the penny candies, pop rocks and many vintage sodas. I look forward to going back and taking some tum to explore this quaint little candy oasis. It was a treat.

I had a great experience attending a recent Tinned Fish Tasting at Public Smokehouse. I checked in…read morewith the young woman tending the register and she gave me the lay of the land as well as a souvenir tasting fork of my choice. There were a few designs to choose from: a lobster, an oyster, and a fish, from what I can recall. She also introduced me to our gracious host for the evening, Nolan, who was running the show. Nolan is a big ball of energy and a joy to be around. He set the vibes to light, fun and whimsical and I really appreciated that. Everyone moved around the room freely, visiting all of the tasting stations that were set up with whimsical, hand-drawn decorations on the paper tablecloths (much like that seen on the Pinterest commercial). There were 6 different ones, all with multiple options at each station. I tried sardines, razor clams, pickled ramps, an entire array of Fishwife tinned items, mustards, seafood dip that is made in-house, oysters, the list goes on. They also introduced me to an Indiana-based soda company call Bollygood, with Indian-inspired flavors. I love, love, love the Lime Basil Cumin flavor. I wasn't too sure about that combo, but it was delicious and super-refreshing. It smelled like a taco...but didn't taste like one! The Lemon Mango Turmeric was really good too. I also enjoyed the demonstrations lead by Chef Amber. She also has a light that was a pleasure to witness. I could just tell that she really loves what she does. While she does not work there, she still gets to come back for the fun stuff (her words). She has been a huge influence on the whole tinned fish movement at the smokehouse and develops recipes and curates these events alongside Nolan and the team. I loved both recipes that were shared with us and her enthusiasm to show us how we can elevate the tinned fish beyond the can. We mingled. We made friends. I spent a pretty penny on several of the delicious items that I was introduced to. I look forward to attending more events here in the future.

Attended their Behind the Scenes Charcuterie Tour and Tasting event last weekend. This was a great…read moreexperience. The retail market was small but packed with a lot of products. Here are my takeaways: Tour: Once we got our health and safety standards attire, we made our way through the warehouse tour. So interesting to see each step of the process. Affordable way to spend a Saturday morning and you can try some cool charcuterie meats like a fancy person. Shop/Product Reviews: As mentioned before,the retail shop is packed with products. Plenty of items to make a gorgeous charcuterie board and tasting plates. I did try a sample of the gin and juice salami, which I did not like. I found 4 great items that I will probably purchase again in the future: Big Red Salami made with Wagyu, Soprosseta, Tulip Tree Trillium Cheese and the amazing confection...Miso Bacon Caramel Bar. That and the Soprosseta stole my heart. Go there, try samples, buy what makes you smile, and live each day to the fullest!