Good Evening!  Tonight I introduce to you Bella Reese Boudreau.  Born July 24th, 2011 at 1:37am, Bella arrived happy, healthy…and early!  She weighed in at 6 lbs 14oz and was 20.5 inches long.  With a full head of dark hair…big blue eyes…and tiny little features, she melted our hearts instantly.

Since her birth, almost 8 weeks ago, I have soaked up every little snuggle, smile, and sweet moment.  Though I took a hiatus from Indulge to capture that time with her, we did continue to cook!  I passed my “Head Chef” hat off to Ryan and he accepted the challenge!  Each night, while I fed Bella, he prepared one of our go-to meals.  Though we were encouraged to prepare and freeze meals prior to her arrival, we opted not to do so.  Time spent in the kitchen is special to us…and fresh meals are hard to pass up!  (Are we high maintenance?! I think so!)  Over the coming weeks, I will share some of these meals with you.

In addition to some great home-cooked meals, we also indulged in some wine!  Finally!  Born on a Sunday (our favorite day of the week), it seemed appropriate that Ryan and I celebrated our new life with Bella on a Sunday – our first Sunday alone as a family.  While I cared for our girl, Ryan whipped up one of our favorite pastas, Bombolotti Al Forno and cracked a bottle of Zinfandel from Bella Winery!

Just one month before our trip to Bora Bora (and the consequent conception of Bella), I visited Napa and Sonoma with my dear friend, Mandy.  While we were there, we visited Bella Vineyards, a favorite from my trip with Ryan several years prior.  Though the bottles are relatively expensive, I had “gut” feeling that one day I would have a little girl…and her name would be “Bella”, so I picked up a couple bottles to take home to Iowa.  I am so glad I did.

Whether you are planning a trip to Wine Country in the near future or looking for a GREAT Zinfandel to order into your home, I highly recommend BELLA.  Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma County is known for their Zinfandels…and this one is at the top of the list! 

To the happy, healthy arrival of our sweet Bella Boudreau and my return to Indulge, CHEERS!

Indulge.  In Life.  In Love.  In Food.