Over the river lakes, and through the woods plains,
To Grandmother’s house Flipflop Wines’ Headquarters we go! 
Greetings from Livermore, CA, home of Flipflop Wines, where I arrived yesterday with a several other bloggers for a quick, 2-day trip to learn about the company, their Soles for Souls initiative, and drink some juicy wine, of course! (This is their Bubbly Moscato – to die.)
Today we’ll dig into the meat of our trip, but last night was all about a nice, relaxing time with food and wine pairings at the Underdog Wine Bar, right on the grounds of Flipflop Wines’ headquarters.
We sipped on whites paired with delicate salads and crab cakes.
Reds with meatier dishes like Beef Shortribs.
PS can we please all acknowledge the baby carrots under my beef shortribs that I did indeed try…and kind of liked?!?!
But dessert – wine soaked berries and whip cream – totally did it for me.
How can something so simple, taste so GOOD?!
I’ll fill you in with more later, but in the meantime please enjoy my favorite finds and beyond in this week’s Friday Favorites – and have a great weekend guys! (Also, will you still read my blog if it changes to Iowa Girl Transplanted to Northern California Eats? – gah I just love wine country!)
Favorite gotta have it: Salted Nut Squares. Can you say homemade salty nut roll?! Chewy, dense and sweet - gotta have it.
Favorite view: Yosemite National Park. I have been dying to go to Yosemite for the past 5 years or so. Just got to find a summer to do it!
Favorite app: Deli Skewers. What a blissfully light bite of deli meat and cheese. These would be so nice to bring to a party, so you know you have at least one healthy item to snack on.
Favorite space. I adore this serene and girly office space. PLUS THAT CHAIR.
Favorite dinner: Queso Taco Pasta Bake. Forget the pasta – with a sauce like this, pass the tortilla chips! 
Favorite funny: Clementine the Dog. I want to wrap this dog up in my arms, hug her so hard, and tell her everything is going to be all right. AWWWW!
Favorite recipe: Perfect Strawberry Poppyseed Dressing. Sweet, tangy, and just right.
Favorite fashion: Leopard Print Bracelet. I’m not a huge animal print girl, but can definitely appreciate cute accents like this bracelet.
Favorite sweet: Key Lime Pie Poke Cake. I am such a sucker for poke cakes – especially one involving tangy-sweet key lime flavors.
Favorite pooch. Cute. Overload.
Favorite fresh: Corn & Blueberry Salad. I hereby declare Corn & Blueberry Salad THE salad of summer 2012. I cannot wait to make it!
Favorite feature: Herringbone-Patterned Brick Floors. I’m obsessed with this incredibly unique home feature. Would you do it?
Favorite yum: Gratineed Pineapple. I have never seen a recipe like this before in my life. In the words of the blog writer – “It’s sweet and juicy and warm and crunchy and gooey…and just plain damn good.” WOW!
Favorite practical: Express 4 1/2″ Shorts. Here’s the thing. I’m too old to be wearing the little booty shorts everyone’s selling these days (although, for the record, I never did wear them) so I totally appreciate shops that carry shorts in longer lengths, like Express’ 4 1/2″ shorts. They’re just long enough, but not too long, and come in fabrics that can be dressed up or down. I bought three pairs of ‘em last weekend.
Favorite bite: Raspberry Lemonade Bars. Now these just scream summer!, don’t ya’ think? 8)
Favorite room: Sun Room Kitchen. A food bloggers dream kitchen with all that natural light.
Favorite finger food: Chili Lime Mango Papaya. Juicy mango & papaya slices dusted with a smoky-sweet combo of spices. I adore this idea!
Favorite accent: Houndstooth Rug. I’ve always though houndstooth is one of life’s perfect patterns. It goes with any style of home.
Favorite sip: Minted Mango Tea. I could sip on a mason jar of this all summer long.
Favorite find: Flash mob in the Copenhagen Metro. If you think you hate flash mobs – watch this. Hands down the most unique, goose bump inducing FM I’ve ever seen.
Favorite duh: Ice Cream Cone Cannoli. Brilliant! I was just saying the other day that I’d love to make cannolis at home, but don’t want to make the shell and/or don’t want to buy a box of ‘em that have probably been on the supermarket shelf for 12 years either…
Have a fantastic weekend, everyone!
i totally watched that copenhagen flash mob a few days ago!! such a beautiful experience
Thanks for posting that flashmob. People were so happy and seemed connected…no more avoiding eye contact and listening to headphones…LOVED that. Have fun in Cali! I’ll be looking forward to updates on the trip!
That “flash mob” brought tears to my eyes! So beautiful. And that Key Lime cake. Must.make.this.weekend.
I absolutely adore your Friday Favorite posts! Keep ‘em coming! I would kill for that sun room kitchen and the girly office (our office is kinda masculine with the most hideous office chair that i can’t wait to throw away!)
BTW, I’ve tried Flip Flop Moscato and it was delish. I went to a wine party and paired it with Barefoot Moscato (Get it, barefoot and flip flop
What a fun trip.
I look forward to your Friday Finds every week. You rock! The flash mob video even gave my scalp goose bumps!!! Wow.
Thanks for the link, Kristin! Happy Friday
You’re right in my neck of the woods! I live in San Francisco! I was so excited when I saw your Instagram picture last night that you were at Concannon Winery, that is where my boyfriend and I had our first date! He was excited when I told him you were there too
Also, I made a version of your lettuce wrap recipe last night, delish! Have fun at the Flip Flop event 
i LOVE your friday favorites! i look forward to them every week! i and loving that girly office
I have always been secretly jealous of you but now I’m SUPER jealous!!! Ahhh, a weekend in the wineries of CA. Please take me with you next time.
Just kidding girl. Enjoy every moment!
I’m totally obsessed with raspberry/lemon combos and key lime pie. Drooling.
Thanks for including me, Kristin! I love your weekly link round-ups.
I love fridays on this blog. Have a wonderful trip!
Mmm…bubbly moscato! Hope you have an awesome weekend
omg, that dog is too adorable!
and i must go look for those shorts. i feel ya on the too-old-for-booty-shorts front. i’ve been searching for lengthier but not old-lady shorts for awhile!!! gonna check those out!
Speaking of chili spiced fruit, are you familiar with Tajin Seasoning? It’s a chili/lime/salt mixture in a shaker, used on fruit like mango, papaya, melon. I’ve found it in the produce section of grocery stores, and had it before at farmers markets where they are selling mango cups. My sister introduced me to it in San Diego. Give it a try!
Hey Kristin,
1) Reading this totally inspired me to buy Flip Flop wine at Hy-Vee today. I went with the Malbec.
2) The last page of the June issue of Health magazine has skewers of watermelon balls, feta, and mint. When I saw it today, I thought “this looks like something IGE would make!”
3) My favorite farmer’s market food is the Dos Rios breakfast bowls. I challenge you to post a copy-cat recipe.
I would love to see it!
-Afton
You will not regret going to Yosemite. I can’t wait to go back some day
Awesome flash mob! I’m with you, I am too old to be wearing booty shorts and love, love, love this site! I will probably be ordering some.
Love those deli skewers! Definitely pinning them for the next party I need to bring a dish to.
As an Iowa girl transplanted to northern California I would welcome your change in blog anytime! I loved growing up in des Moines but now that I live here in Cali I would NEVER move back. Your blog gives me little glimpses of Iowa life! I am glad I stumbled onto your blog! Enjoy wine country!
Hope you have a fabulous time in wine country! I’m also a former Iowa girl (although I’m not too far away, just in KC). I LOVE your blog and always look forward to your Friday Favorites!
You are in my neck of the woods – if you flew into SFO you were about 10 minutes from me!! The Bay Area is amazing!!!!
And thanks for sharing the FM — beautiful!!!!
Loved that flash mob- what a relaxing way to go home!
LOVE your blog!!!! LOVE your Friday Faves!!! LOVE the flashmob!!! And, yes, I’d still read your blog but I’d be sad b/c I love love love that you are an Iowa Girl!!!
I’m with lauren! I am so jealous!! I am from CA and I am such a wine lover. Lol. Have fun IGE! Drink a Chardonnay for me, would u????
Forgot to leave my blog URL lol
love those shorts! and those houndstooth rugs!
That flash mob was amazing!!! Thank you for sharing that!
Craziest thing! I’m in NorCal this week too! Well.. I leave tomorrow
My dad lives in a small town about an hour and 15 minutes north from where you are! It has been WONDERFUL! My 4-year-old’s first time on a plane, traveling abroad. We leave tomorrow, but I am ready for home. Ready for routine. Ready to hug and kiss the crap out of my 3-year-old who I left behind this time. Anyway, enjoy NorCal and be sure to try some wine from Berryessa Gap. It’s LIFE CHANGING. Enjoy your mini vacay!
I am making that salad for lunch tomorrow! OMG! It will definitely make several appearances on my table this summer! YUM.
OMG, I’m originally from Modesto, CA. Right in the neighborhood of Livermore. Enjoy the central valley where the majority of the produce sold in this country (including wine grapes) is grown!!
Flip Flop Wines? what a gig! you are a lucky duck! can’t wait to read more about your weekend.
You should definitely visit Yosemite ASAP!! I am an Iowan living in the bay area and I just went there for the first time last fall – it’s absolutely gorgeous and one of my favorite places I’ve EVER been. You should do a whole Northern CA trip – you could easily fill up a week or two with SF, the Monterey/Carmel/Big Sur coastline, Napa/Sonoma (wine + some of the best restaurants in the US) and Yosemite.
[...] can’t wait to tell you more about my whirlwind trip to Flipflop wines’ headquarters later this [...]
The pooch picture is exactly my puppy Miles. He’s a Morkie and is the smartest, sweetest little guy. I can’t get over how it is exactly him!
Hi Kristin! I’ve been reading your blog for over a year now and just recently got my mother-in-law hooked on it too! Imagine my suprise when I was reading it Friday and saw that you were in Livermore!! Wish I had known! I live in Livermore and in fact was at the Underdog Wine Bar on Friday afternoon. I totally would have tried to find you, cause let’s face it, if we ever met I KNOW we would be BFF’s! LOL! Totally kidding, but I do love your blog and thought you’d like to know youv’e got a few readers from Livermore, CA!
Hi Kristin – Thank you so much for including me in your list of Friday Favorites. I LOVE your blog and can’t wait to dig in and read more. I know I’ll be back often. Great site!
[...] the last segment – Boozy Berry Cups! This recipe is inspired by the wine-marinated berries I had in California last week, and is as easy as it is melt-in-your-mouth [...]
I agree with Tabitha! Next time you’re in the Bay Area (or anywhere) give us a heads up! It would be fun to meet up in person.
I hope you enjoyed Livermore wine country. I love Underdog and Concannon, and in summer, there is a Shakespeare Festival on the property in front of the Victorian home.
[...] touched down in California around 1:00pm on Thursday, then met with the Flipflop team over dinner that evening. The next morning we headed to the vineyard to begin our day with breakfast and [...]
Hey Kristen, love the blog! Especially liked this post, because many years ago I lived in the Livermore/Pleasanton area (I have friends who still live in Pleasanton) and LOVE going back to visit (I’m an Iowa boy at the moment…).
Just wanted to give you a tip…when you do make it to Yosemite, do the Mist trail hike. The views are amazing…it’s like being in another world. (Warning – you will get SOAKED!)