Big Day Tomorrow

Tomorrow I start my first day of work, the first day of work in about a year. You can read about my job here. But let's talk about two dinners. First was the celebratory dinner at Bandera in Brentwood. It is a tough world out there right now, and after 3 interviews and a half-day in-office tryout, I was fortunate enough to get an offer for a job that I think I'm going to really enjoy. My dad graciously offered to pick up the tab for a nice meal for Mike and me so that we could properly celebrate the occasion. I had a filet with Bearnaise sauce, sauteed spinach and mashed potatoes and a delicious bottle of Zin, our fave. The filet was thick and red in the middle, crunchy and caramelized on the outside - just the way beef was destined to be consumed. I've never made Bearnaise sauce before and I've never really had a good one before. It seems time consuming to make from scratch, packets of those flavors taste dreadful, and no one really needs to consume that much butter and egg yolk in one sitting. That's how I justify not making it and thus, not eating it. Um.... I was wrong. It was worth every sinful bite. If I didn't have to fit in a wedding dress and bathing suit in less than 6 months, I might have come home and made myself a vat of good ole' Bearnie to enjoy on every veggie and protein I ever make again.

Tonight was a different kind of meal. Mike took it on himself to do the cooking for dinner. I'm a small bundle of nerves right now since I'm starting my new position in the morning. I've already filled out my paperwork and signed my life away, and I've tried on at least three different outfits that I may or may not wear on my first day. Anyways, Mike made one of his specialties and one of my favorites: Salsa Chicken with Spanish rice. He marinated chicken breasts in salsa for the afternoon and prepared Spanish rice with diced tomatoes. I had made some coleslaw (which is worthy of a whole other post) yesterday so that rounded out our plate. In a twist of our typical roles, I did the dishes afterward.

I am very grateful for both dinners, each in their own way celebrating my return to the workforce.

Question of the day: To celebrate significant events, where do you go? Or do you stay in and make something special?