The post-promotion glow continues. Ryan sewed on his new rank this week. I watched him iron the chevrons with the precision of a surgeon. Three up, one rocker. Staff Sergeant. The uniform that says 'I stayed and I earned it.'
The new paycheck hit. I made a budget — a REAL budget, not the survival math I've been doing since we got married. The categories: rent (covered by BAH), groceries, gas, savings (THE HOUSE FUND), kids' stuff, and 'Rachel's writing supplies,' which is code for coffee and Moleskine notebooks.
The house fund is growing. Slowly, but growing. Every book advance, every extra dollar from the promotion — it goes in. The dream is still small and specific: a house with counter space, a kitchen where I can roll out pie dough.
The cookbook deal came through. The publisher wants it. Sarah called screaming — actually screaming, which is not typical Sarah behavior.
'THREE BOOKS, RACHEL. YOU'RE A THREE-BOOK AUTHOR.'
The advance for the cookbook is smaller than the memoirs (cookbooks cost more to produce because PHOTOGRAPHS), but it's real. Real money for real recipes from real kitchens.
Caleb lost his first tooth. Bottom front. It happened at dinner — he bit into corn on the cob and the tooth stayed in the corn. He was DELIGHTED.
'THE TOOTH FAIRY IS COMING!'
The tooth fairy left two dollars and a note written in my left hand to disguise the handwriting. Caleb analyzed the note like a detective. 'The tooth fairy writes like Mama.' HE'S FIVE AND HE'S ALREADY A SKEPTIC.
Made corn on the cob again tonight. The tooth-loss food. History repeating.
We’d already had our corn-on-the-cob moment — tooth and all — but a week this full deserved a proper dinner, something that said we earned this. Ryan’s new rank, the cookbook deal, the house fund actually growing: I wanted a plate that matched the weight of all of it. A T-bone felt right — no fuss, no pretense, just good meat cooked well, the kind of meal that turns a regular Tuesday into a memory. I served it with corn on the side, obviously, because some foods just belong to a week.
T-Bone Steak
Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 12 min | Total Time: 22 min | Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 2 T-bone steaks (about 1 inch thick, 12–14 oz each)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 3–4 sprigs fresh thyme or rosemary
Instructions
- Season the steaks. Pat steaks dry with paper towels. Combine salt, pepper, and garlic powder, then season both sides generously. Let steaks sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
- Heat the pan. Place a cast-iron skillet over high heat for 2–3 minutes until very hot. Add olive oil and swirl to coat.
- Sear the first side. Place steaks in the skillet without moving them. Sear for 4–5 minutes until a deep brown crust forms.
- Flip and baste. Flip steaks and immediately add butter, smashed garlic, and herbs to the pan. Tilt the pan slightly and spoon the melted butter over the steaks continuously for 3–4 minutes for medium-rare (internal temperature 130–135°F).
- Rest before serving. Transfer steaks to a cutting board and tent loosely with foil. Rest for 5 minutes before slicing or serving whole to allow juices to redistribute.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 620 | Protein: 54g | Fat: 44g | Carbs: 1g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 780mg
About the cook who shared this
Rachel Abernathy
Week 419 of Rachel’s 30-year story
· San Diego, California
Rachel is a twenty-eight-year-old Marine wife and mom of two who has moved five times in six years and learned to cook a Thanksgiving dinner with half her cookware still in boxes. She married young, survived postpartum depression, and feeds her family of four on a junior Marine's salary with a freezer full of pre-made meals and a crockpot that has never let her down. She writes for the military spouses who are cooking dinner alone in base housing and wondering if they're enough. You are.
