My partner and I moved into our new home just over a month ago, and I still feel like I’m exhaling for the first time in years. After moving more times than I can count on one hand, it’s humbling to finally have a place that is ours. Not just a landing pad or a temporary fix, but a home. A place to grow roots. A space to make memories, to learn how to care for something together, and to allow ourselves to just be.
One unexpected but welcome shift that’s come with this new chapter is returning to the kitchen. During my nomadic stretch of the last few years, I used the constant upheaval as a reason not to stock a kitchen. Cooking at home didn’t make sense when I was always on the move. Why buy a whole jar of spices for one meal when I’d likely have to pack it up (or toss it) within six months? Ordering takeout was easier and simpler.
But now, I’m slowly building a kitchen that feels like a foundation—one jar at a time. And last week, I made what might be one of the most straightforward and most satisfying home-cooked meals I’ve had in a long time: good ol’ steak and potatoes.
Here’s what went down:
I preheated the oven to 400°F and prepped some asparagus—washed, trimmed, tossed in olive oil, parmesan, and herbs. They roasted for ten minutes while I halved a bowl of mini potatoes, dressed them the same way, and roasted them skin-side-up for about thirty minutes until they were crispy and golden. The star of the show was a couple of marinated sirloin steaks. I gave them a quick roast in the oven for five minutes, then seared them for just a minute on each side on the stovetop. They came out at a medium temperature. (I’m working toward mastering a medium-rare next time—it’s a work in progress.)
Dinner was delicious. Not because it was gourmet or complicated, but because it was ours. Cooked in our kitchen, eaten in our home. We’re still eating most of our meals in front of the TV—a habit I’d like to phase out once we get a dining set—but we watched The Last of Us and cozied up for the evening. All in all, it was one of those nights that reminded me why “home” is worth all the effort.
There’s something special about cooking for yourself and your loved ones, especially when you haven’t always had the space or the bandwidth to do it. This simple dinner felt like a little celebration of stability, intention, and this new phase we’re entering.
It turns out steak and potatoes can taste like gratitude.
Sand Between Shifts 