Happy Friday, everyone!
I’m comin’ at ya’ from Napa, California – yeah! A couple girlfriends and I have been talking about taking a girl’s trip for-ev-er, so we finally decided to stop talking about it, cash in our collective hotel points and frequent flyer miles, and actually do it! :)
We arrived yesterday afternoon and, after getting settled into our hotel, headed to a winery I’ve been dying to visit for oh, about 8 years – Cakebread Cellars.
The first “business trip” I ever took right out of college was with my then boss to Toronto (which is an amazing city, btw. The shopping!) While we there we ate at this adorable shabby-chic, hole in the wall Italian restaurant with an incredible wine menu. At the time I knew nothing about wine and picked a glass of “Cakebread wine” to have with dinner thinking it would taste like, well – cake. Ha. Haha. HAHAHAHA!
I know.
The glass of wine didn’t taste like cake, rather it was from the Cakebread Cellars in Napa, and was absolutely unforgettable. A luscious Cabernet that was neither too harsh nor too sweet. It was, in a word, perfect.
Ever since then I’ve been on a Cakebread hunt. I’ve found bottles sold locally, but for $90+, and have never found it on a wine menu no matter where I go. Anyways, imagine my delight when I passed by THE Cakebread Cellars during my Hilton HHonors Napa trip last month on the way to another stop. I knew if/when I returned it would be one of the first wineries I’d visit, and yesterday, we made it so.
Whee!
The girls and I toured the family owned and operated cellars, sampling 6 different wines with our tour guide Nash, and several other visitors.
It was a beautiful afternoon and a perfect way to kick off our weekend of wine tasting.
And guess what? The wine was AMAZING!!! I could not have been more excited to sip, savor, and sip some more.
We’ve got two more full days of wine tasting in the area, so wish us luck! :)
In the meantime, I hope you have an awesome weekend planned out, and please enjoy my favorite finds from around the web and beyond, in this week’s Friday Favorites!
Favorite indulge: 7 Layer Cookies a la Mode. Are you KIDDING me! I think one bite of this luscious, indulgent dessert would send me straight into a blissful sugar coma!
Favorite read: 15 Ways to Stay Married for 15 Years. No gimmicky “Cosmo” advice here – just real, practical ideas for keeping your marriage strong from a couple that just celebrated 15 years together.
Favorite breakfast: Sausage & Cheese Muffins. I had the BEST breakfast casserole at a baby shower a few months ago that had biscuit mix in the casserole. Like, not on the bottom nor top, but laced throughout the entire thing. I haven’t been able to find a recipe even resembling it until I found these muffins. Can’t wait to try ’em!
Favorite DIY: Homemade Pumpkin Coffee Creamer. I long for the pumpkin spice creamer at the grocery store every fall, but never want to pour the chemical-laced stuff into my coffee. This homemade, organic version sounds delicious!!
Favorite freebie: 7 Ingredient or Less E-Cookbook. My friend Dana at the Minimalist Baker just came out with her first e-cookbook with 10 yummy recipes that have 7 ingredients or less. Trust me, each one looks just as delicious as these Strawberry Ombre Pancakes, which are included in the book!
Favorite fashion: Gap’s Boyfriend Jeans. Ok I’m having a dilemma. I am obsessed with the idea of Gap’s boyfriend jeans, which are super slouchy and loose fitting (I hate wearing tight clothes.) Only problem is I would wear these with flip flops or flats, not heels. Would that look dumb?! I can’t tell!
Favorite meal: Chinese Spicy Chicken. Ohhhh yes – crunchy, battery Chinese food that isn’t deep fried! Doesn’t this look delectable?!
Favorite redo: NEW Sock Bun! So I shared a way to make a sock bun a few months ago in a Friday Favorites post, but last weekend my friend and I found a NEW and MUCH better way to do it – just look at the bun I was able to achieve in like, 30 seconds! We were giggling like school girls when we figured it out! What is it about buns that just make me insanely happy? (Click on the link above to see the tutorial we followed!)
Favorite game day dish: Jerk Port Nachos. I MEAN REALLY.
Favorite find (maybe ever): Pinstrosity. I have been in the weirdest mood this week – laughing like an insane person at things I would normally just maybe chuckle at (case in point – I laughed ’til I cried at like, 4 episodes of the Big Bang Theory this week.) Anyways, that said, I laughed at this website, where people submit failed attempts at projects or recipes found on Pinterest, until I could no longer breathe. Maybe it’s really not that funny, but I think it is. Wait ’til you get to the stacked children photo attempt. JUST WAIT.
Favorite fitness: Fat Blaster Workout. I love workouts like this to bust out after running. It’s straightforward, doesn’t require any equipment and, most importantly, WORKS!
Favorite sweet: Chocolate Dipped Salted Nut Rolls. Homemade salted nut rolls dipped in chocolate – ‘nuf said!
Favorite funny. See above re: weird mood. I just thought this was absolutely hilarious. Rebel baby polar bear – whee!
Favorite bite: Spanakoptita Bites. Mmmmmm luscious cheese and spinach in crunchy cups. Super cute appetizer.
Favorite dream: Burberry Military Coat. Beautiful shape and tailoring. Now to scrounge up the $1K to buy it…drat!
Favorite dip: Warm Black Bean Dip. Creamy, cheesy, dippy – perfect for watching my…
Favorite WINNERS: IOWA HAWKEYES! The University of Iowa’s football team plays Iowa State University in “Iowa’s Superbowl” (although I kind of wish they would stop calling it that…) this weekend. Anyways, it’s the biggest rivalry in the state, and I am totally team Hawkeyes! WHEE!
Have a GREAT weekend, everyone! (And seriously, GO HAWKS!) ;)
Lu 09.07.2012
There is NOTHING like a perfect glass of wine! I really need to stop looking at your blog when I’m hungry and the fridge is empty!!
Kristin 09.07.2012
I commented for the first time the other day to let you know how much we loved your crock pot spaghetti sauce, and now I am commenting again because I was JUST at Cakebread Winery in Napa two weeks ago! I took a trip with my mom and sister, and this was hands down my favorite. I splurged on two bottles (both cab!) for my birthday, and I can’t wait to drink them on a special occasion. Enjoy your trip, the food is as amazing as the wine!
Iowa Girl Eats 09.07.2012
A perfect thing to splurge on, in my opinion!
kim@hungryhealthygirl 09.07.2012
I heard about the pinterest misshap website and been meaning to check it out. The baby polar bear is adorable and I want those pancakes tomorrow morning. Have fun tasting wine with the girls!!
Melissa 09.07.2012
GO Hawks! Have a great weekend in Cali!
Brandy 09.07.2012
Seriously…my mom and I laughed until we wheezed, peed our pants and cried over Pinstrosity, just last night!! So hilarious!!
bridget {bake at 350} 09.07.2012
Ooo….have the best time on your trip!!!
Thanks so much for including the 7-layer cookies in your post! :)
Amanda 09.07.2012
Have you been to Zins Restaurant in Cedar Rapids? They have this cool refrigerated wine dispenser that allows them to keep nicer bottles from going bad too quickly, so they often have the Cakebread Chardonnay by the glass. Much more affordable to have a glass than a $90 bottle!! Plus they have amazing food and cute desserts (mostly small plates). You need to go if you haven’t been, I think you’d love it!
Iowa Girl Eats 09.07.2012
Awesome suggestion – thank you, I will check them out!!
Bethany 09.07.2012
Kristin! What about the Panthers! They have their first home game this weekend!
Iowa Girl Eats 09.07.2012
Eek, I didn’t even know – I’ve never really followed Panther sports!
Michele 09.07.2012
I can’t wait for the game this weekend! We’ll be watching it from good ol’ Georgia! I already checked to make sure we get it on tv. Yep, we do! Woo hoo!!
Christa @ a*typicaljourney 09.07.2012
So glad to hear you’re a Hawkeye fan :) I thoroughly enjoy your blog, and it really would be a shame to have to stop reading because you’re a Cy-backer :)
Those homemade salted nut rolls look amazing — salted nut rolls are kind of a weakness of mine <3
Heather {ModernMealsforTwo} 09.07.2012
Ah! I’m so jealous that you’re in Napa! I hope you have the best time. Hubster and I went in April and I posted all about our trip and the wineries we visited. We loved Cakebread! They have awesome wine. If you want a totally un-Napa like stop, check out Praeger Port. I walked in saying “I’m not a port person” and was totally changed by their white port. It tasted just like pecan pie. We bought a bottle (duh!) and are saving it for the holidays.
Katy 09.07.2012
Yes! The Gap boyfriend jeans! Do it, do it, do it, buy them. I caved and tried on a pair last week, thinking there was no possible way those jeans would look good on a short person. Maybe they are miracle jeans but they looked kinda awesome. And they are so utterly comfortable. Perfect fall jeans!
As far as shoes, I promptly came home and pranced around in them with sandals, flats, and black heels. Check, check, and check :) Happy shopping!
Julie 09.07.2012
OMG, that naked family pic is… DISTURBING! The cookie monster ones cracked me up, tho.
Go Clones! :P
Iowa Girl Eats 09.07.2012
Ew, I know – the naked one is weird, but the three kids with the crying baby was soooo funny to me!
Sarah 09.07.2012
OMG, Cakebread is THE BEST! So glad you got to experience their awesome tour and wines. I always recommend it to anyone visiting Napa.
Alicia 09.07.2012
You can totally wear boyfriend jeans with flats or sandals! I work at Gap and we encourage it and dress our mannequins in it! It looks great!
Sara 09.07.2012
YES! Go HAWKEYES! Silly, really, since I do like both teams when they aren’t playing each other…
The article about marriage is fantastic, BTW.
Vanessa Kasparek 09.07.2012
After a long week, I always look forward to my Friday evening ritual: Reading the latest issue of People magazine and the latest edition of your Friday Favorites! Thanks for all the fantastic ideas! ;)
Raquel 09.07.2012
Is it just me or is the new sock bun link not working? :(
Heather 09.07.2012
Not working for me either.
Iowa Girl Eats 09.07.2012
Ok just fixed it! Should be working now!!
Heather 09.07.2012
Thanks!!
Jolene 09.07.2012
Travel to Decorah, IA and dine at the Rubaiyat. They have Cakebread Cellars wine!
Iowa Girl Eats 09.07.2012
Ok awesome!! I will check them out sometime!
Sarah 09.08.2012
I am from Decorah!! It is an amazing little town, and so beautiful. Also, you should stay at the Winneshiek Hotel downtown! And you have to go to the Whippy Dip. ;)
And GO HAWKS!!
April 09.07.2012
If you love pinstrosity try http://www.pinterestyouaredrunk.com/