Breakfast Nook Confessional

My parents have sold their home. Well, our home. I've lived in about 13 rented apartments since college that were comprised of filthy carpet, chipped paint, uneven drawers and someone else's memories. Home was the steady, red brick, built-in-1920 structure I've returned to for the last 30 years, reading a book under the covers, leaving notes for Santa, writing teenage angst-filled poetry on my closet walls, walking my future husband up to the door....and confessing my truths in the breakfast nook. Our kitchen was fairly small, but like most old homes with unique character found around every corner, had a built-in breakfast nook that usually held my Irish Catholic mother in it late at night, as our curfews approached. She was the priest and we were the sinners. Nearest to the entrance at the back door, the kitchen was the first stop (and often the last) for friends, family, neighbors and an occasional stranger who snuggled up in the breakfast nook for a snack, a beverage and a good long talk.

Packing up my memories this past weekend was one of the more difficult experiences in my life. I spent hours on my closet floor reading notes from 5th grade boyfriends and marveling at how much time has passed. We were a young, new family when we moved in and today, connected in a way through experiences that only those walls have seen.

I made a frittata from whatever was left in the refrigerator for my family. As we gathered at the table to eat, my 6 year old niece and I discussed how she felt about the move. "I don't want to go to a new house because it won't have secret hiding spots," she said. We all shared stories of our own memories in the secret spots and laughed about that time when....

Just another chat in the breakfast nook.

Breakfast Nook Frittata
8 eggs
1 cup sour cream
Veggies - seriously, whatever is in the fridge
Meat - I like chorizo, but turkey or pork sausage is great too
Shredded cheddar cheese

Method:
Heat oven to 350 degrees
Heat olive oil in a pan and saute veggies
Add sausage until browned
Whisk eggs with sour cream and add a little salt & pepper
If oven safe, pour egg mixture in same pan and sprinkle cheese on top (if not, transfer to baking dish)
Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes