This is FROM BACK IN MARCH!!!
I have so few photos from this wonderful weekend in Napa celebrating my sister’s upcoming wedding…and yet, I want to post the ones I do have to shine a light on the places we went (and memorialize them on HHH for my own keepsake).
Starting off with packing. I spent SO MUCH TIME squaring away my kids and my mom for my being away I didn’t end up thinking about my own stuff until, like, the night before.
Kyle was in Philly for a wedding, so I had nobody to distract me as I attempted to find something in my closet that didn’t make me feel 300 years old.
And then I ate my fancy chocolate and watched Bravotv.com in bed…until my mom came to Davis early the next morning…and then I was off! To Napa’s insanely gorgeous Silverado Resort to check into our hotel rooms and deal with all the registration crap for our group. Weeeee!
On the way, I got drive-thru coffee and listened to podcasts and before I knew it, I was there!
Oh hey, don’t mind me just pumping in the lobby bathroom. As you do.
Pretty much threw away all my boob milk for the next 48 hours.
Sister!
For the record, both of my sisters and I showed up in matching jean jackets. So yeah.
Bride tribe.
Our first stop was at Mumm.
I shared the tasting flight with another mama who had a similarly low tolerance.
This one was my fave (although to be honest I loved them all). I SO enjoy bubbles. 🙂
Next stop was Paraduxx.
My little sis is a member of the Duckhorn wine club so it was nice to learn about their other wine. I can’t even remember which I liked at this point, but we were a divided group – the favorite of some was the least favorite of the rest.
We got to try this though, which was dynamite.
After that we went to Oxbow Market for lunch.
It’s like an open market place with various vendors and food stalls, so we could all get whatever we wanted and sit at a table together.
I hit up Cate & Co, – a gluten free bake shop and eatery. My food was so bomb I went back after and got some stuff to take home (cookies and a grain free loaf of bread). YESPLEASE. I also chatted it up with the owner and am hoping I can figure out a way to get their products to my Davis doorstep. Fingers crossed.
We definitely couldn’t linger after lunch though – our limo driver was on point and whipped us up the road to Reynold’s Family Winery.
We got a private room for our group with a great view. I think we took a bunch of photos after this tasting, but I was pretty buzzed at this point so who knows where those pics are.
That was the final tasting of the day though, so the limo took us back to Silverado where we freshened up (re-intoxicated ourselves) for dinner. Good thing there were a few preggo ladies to drive us. 😉
Switched to hard alcohol with this Moscow mule! We went to Tarla Mediterranean Grill for dinner.
My sister got this salmon dish (above) and I got the lamb kofta dish (below). I figured there was no better time to try lamb for the first time than a fancy Turkish restaurant in Napa. So I went for it!
It was really delicious. I have no basis for comparison, but it was a super flavorful dish. The only weird part was the (cold) peppers on the right side of the plate. They weren’t good, but the temperature was the most bizarre thing.
Anyway, I don’t have a photo of the apps we got, but the mezze plate that we all shared to start the meal was also phenomenal. I so rarely get hummus these days, so this was a super special meal for that reason alone! 🙂
The morning after shenanigans.
Cooking breakfast with the bride to be.
After our am feasting, we all headed home. It was Easter Sunday, so lots of peeps had plans with their fam. I was excited to get back to my babies, naturally.
My mom was playing in the toy room with them when I got back…and it was almost like no time had passed.
The next week was busy as I got prepared to leave for Hawaii (for the wedding), so I’m definitely glad I had Cate & Co. bread to get me through.
I was hooked after one bite and wished I had bought several home to freeze.
I loved the seedy topping and the hearty yet light inside. It wasn’t dense, and it sliced well with no crumble.
And it toasted up perfectly.
But most importantly, I loved the way it tasted! Mmmmm…perfect with Earth Balance or avocado spread on top and a sprinkle of finishing salt.
Heavenly.
If you are in the Napa area RUN to Oxbow to get a loaf of this gourmet gluten free bread immediately.
Oh, and the cookies were awesome, too. But duh, of course they were.
What a wonderful quick trip!
Any bubbly beverages make me happy- it’s been a number of years but i remember the tour of Mumm was impressive. We actually have a good family friend who works for Duckhorn so i have been lucky to enjoy many of their wines over the years since he always brings over a bottle or two :))
What a great find with the GF bakery!
I don’t understand why people like quest bars. It tastes so artificial to me.
Pumpkin bread abd turkish dish look absolutely delicious!
It IS artificial. The ingredients list is stuff I shouldn’t eat, but somehow I tried one and got addicted. The chocolate chip cookie dough flavor is good and I like that it’s high protein and low sugar (since most bars are all sugar). Full disclosure: (a) I make my own bars 99% of the time because I make them for the kids on a weekly basis and (b) I haven’t had one since this post actually (in March), but before that I was having one a week or so…it’s one of those foods that I feel kinda guilty about eating but still do it?