Little Foodies Yay! Donuts

Yay! Donuts

For now, Yay! Donuts is one of those “if you know, you know” types of foodie discoveries. You might have seen them this summer at the Fishers Farmers Market at the Nickel Plate District AMP. Or you might have run across their donut stand at a local event like I did. (I had the pleasure of tasting their donuts at Conner Prairie’s A Merry Prairie Christmas.) But wherever you come across Yay! Donuts’ mini donuts, just know that you’re in for a treat.

Dreamed up by Filipino home baker Esleen Dacanay, with friends Rica Castro and Deanna Bautista, Yay! Donuts are reminiscent of the kind of donuts that one might find in the Philippines. The mini, round, golden orbs are fried to perfection, then glazed or dusted with powdered sugar. You’ll also find mini donuts topped with a variety of different flavors, such as cookies and cream, strawberry jam or pumpkin spice, but they also offer more traditionally Asian flavors like ube and mango. Each donut is a perfect bite of deliciousness.

If you’re lucky, you might catch Yay! Donuts when they’re serving their bao buns: pillowy soft steamed buns filled with savory ingredients like beef bulgogi, Filipino pork adobo or marinated mushrooms, topped with pickled veggies. You might have trouble deciding which tasty creation to eat first!

To find out where Yay! Donuts will be popping up next around Indy, follow them on social media: facebook. com/yaydonuts.fishers.

35 things TO DO THIS WINTER

IN INDIANAPOLIS

The temperature might be dropping, but there are lots of fun things to do this winter in Indy.

THE GRAY DAYS OF JANUARY ARE HERE, BUT COLD TEMPS SHOULDN’T KEEP YOU STUCK AT HOME — ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THERE ARE SO MANY FUN THINGS TO DO IN INDY DURING THE WINTER! IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING FUN FOR THE FAMILY TO DO ON COLD DAYS, SNOW DAYS OR JUST ANY OL’ DAY, HERE ARE SOME OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS TO DO IN INDIANAPOLIS IN THE WINTER WITH KIDS.

Try out a Make It Take It art class at the Indianapolis Art Center. You’ll find Make It Take It classes for families, as well as classes for kids only or adults only.

Go bowling! For a unique twist, try duckpin bowling at Action & Atomic Duckpin Bowling in Fountain Square or Pins Mechanical in the Bottleworks District. Ride the escalators at the Central Library in downtown Indy, then head to The Curve for storytime and a little green screen fun.

Take a road trip to visit a new-toyou children's museum, like the Terre Haute Children’s Museum or Kidscommons in Columbus, Indiana.

Discover the indoor Discovery Station at Conner Prairie.

Sign up for a kid-friendly food class, like the kids’ chocolatetasting classes offered at SoChatti.

Have a family game night at home, or play board games and enjoy some treats at Doughnuts & Dragons.

Head inside for a round of glow-in-the-dark mini golf at downtown’s Circle Centre Mall.

Take your little astronomers for a public tour on Friday or Saturday evenings at Holcomb Observatory and Planetarium. Heat up with a hot glass class. GRT Hot Glass Studios offers a variety of classes for ages 10 years and up.

Lace up your skates and visit a local ice rink. Check out the brand-new outdoor rink at Holliday Park!

Dine in an igloo. You’ll find them all around Indy, including at Field Brewing and Urban Vines in Westfield.

Reach new heights at an indoor climbing studio, like North Mass Boulder.

Burn some energy at an indoor playground, like KidCity at Greenwood Community Center or the newly renovated The Park at Traders Point.

Make a splash at an indoor pool, like Indy Island Aquatic Center or the indoor waterpark at the Monon Community Center in Carmel.

Play and read at your favorite local library. Enjoy a family movie and a meal at Flix Brewhouse or Studio Movie Grill.

Visit your favorite Indianapolis museum. The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is always a good idea!

Visit a nature center, like the ones at Eagle Creek Park or Cool Creek Park.

Warm up with a cup of coffee and cuddles from adoptable kittens at Nine Lives Cat Café.

Learn about birds at the Ornithology Center at Eagle Creek Park.

Not afraid of the cold? Bundle up and visit your favorite outdoor playground. You might even get the playground to yourself if it's cold enough!

Learn about Indy’s racing history at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall Of Fame Museum or the Dallara IndyCar Factory in Speedway.

Explore Indianapolis with your family by foot, or make it interesting by making it into a unique scavenger hunt around the city.

Strike a pose as a family at Selfie WRLD, a selfie museum.

Winter is the perfect time to learn to knit. Find sewing, knitting or crocheting classes for your kids, and maybe they will make you something warm to wear!

Go sledding at one of Indy’s favorite sledding hills, like Flat Fork Creek Park or Fort Harrison State Park.

Take a trip to Noblesville’s Koteewi Run to go snow tubing, central Indiana’s only groomed snow tubing hill. Get creative and make a wearable piece of art at the Tie Dye Lab in Avon.

Take a trip north for a ride on the Pokagon State Park toboggan run.

Visit the Veal's Ice Tree on Indy’s eastside. This massive icy sculpture is typically formed in January and melts in April.

Give back to our community by volunteering as a family. Familyfriendly organizations like Keep Indianapolis Beautiful need your help all year round.

Bundle up and enjoy a winter hike at your favorite local park.