Job satisfaction and quesadillas

Yesterday was gorgeous. Sunny and warm and perfectly Spring, in the high 60s with a slight breeze--one of my most favorite kinds of weather. I decided to get out my Lake Michigan chair and sit out on the balcony while I worked to get a change of scenery, and Jacob and Lola were happy to help (read: chase bugs and sniff a lot)--Jasper wasn't brave enough to venture out. I predict he'll get more adventurous within the month.

This working from home thing, it is the good life. This is my first week back to full time, and I love it already. I am so glad it all worked out this way, and I can't imagine doing anything else at this point in my life. I feel so lucky to have found a job that fits me so well by the age of 25. I don't think most other twentysomethings can say that.

Unfortunately, it isn't as warm (it feels like high 40s or low 50s) or as sunny (in fact, it's quite overcast) today, and it just started to rain, so I'm staying inside on the couch in my pajamas (another benefit of this position: not having to suffer in business casual attire all day) for now with the sliding door cracked for some fresh air. I can still hear the birds singing like crazy. Ah yes, it is that time of year. My chair has been claimed by a tiny Lola cat, so it's just as well that it's raining. I wouldn't want to disturb the princess on her throne.

Last night's dinner was made by special request: mushroom quesadillas and Spanish rice for my hard-working husband! I can't always get him to help plan the menu (he says he has a hard time thinking of vegetarian food other than macaroni and cheese), so when he has an idea, I run with it. The rice came from a boxed mix, and I added veggie burger crumbles to make it a little more interesting. Next time I'll add diced red bell pepper, too, and chives, if I have them, to balance out the spices in the mix. For the quesadillas, I sautéed onions and mushrooms in olive oil until the onions were translucent and the mushrooms were completely saturated with the oil (they taste so good that way, almost buttery). I toasted whole wheat tortillas in a pan lightly coated with olive oil (I cook everything with olive oil, I don't think I could cook without it), then set them aside on a baking sheet while the onions and mushrooms finished. I covered the bottom tortilla with a layer of cheese (real cheese for Jason, soy cheese for me), some thinly sliced tomatoes, and a layer of mushrooms and onions. I topped it with a second tortilla, pressed lightly with my spatula (to flatten the insides), and stuck the baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees for a few minutes, until the cheese melted and the tortillas looked sufficiently crispy. I sliced them into quarters and served with a scoop of rice. Olé!