Come for the Recipes . . . Stay for the Conversation
celebrating life & sharing stories around the kitchen table
I'm Glad You're Here!
I'm Marilyn - The Lead Muse
I’m a designer, photographer, and culinary storyteller who loves connecting inspiring people, places, ideas, and food. My kitchen is my creative playground, and the camera is my favorite tool! > Read More
Fresh Inspiration . . . Just Out of the Kitchen
recipes for every season
Easy Entertaining
Cheese Plate & Bruschetta Bar Recipes
Picking, pairing and presenting a selection of cheeses, meats & toppings is easier than you think. Learn how to put together an interesting cheese plate.
Bacon Love!
Bacon & Sun-dried Tomato Jam
Easy to make, this sun-dried tomato bacon jam is irresistibly smokey, sweet, and savory too. If you love bacon, you’ve got to try this flavor exploding bacon jam!
Farmers Market Favorite
Eggplant Caponata
Perfect for all those fresh veggies now in season. Caponata is a sweet and sour eggplant dish that come to us from Italy. Make it ahead, and serve warm or cold as a perfect appetizer or savory side.
DESTINATIONS . . . You Gotta GO!
noteworthy places to put on your list — Kansas City and beyond
The Pacific Northwest
Seattle, San Juan Islands, Victoria, Vancouver & Whistler
What to see, where to stay, what to do, and where to eat! I’m sharing the inside scoop from my 10-day adventure traveling from Seattle to beautiful British Columbia.
Crazy Good!
Kansas City: Mesuggah Bagels
You gotta GO! It’s the destination for “crazy good” New York style bagels! A new and vibrant addition to the KC food scene, it’s where I found the inspiration for my latest recipes.
FOOD for Thought . . .
meanderings on life, change and the art of reinvention
Starting Over...
Taking Risks . . . Being Brave
As much as I enjoy the holidays, I am always anxious to start over. The arrival of the new year means I’m anxious to do a little soul searching and shedding, how about you?
LEARN HOW . . . Kitchen Minute Videos
tips, tricks and techniques to improve your kitchen confidence
Hungry For More?
recipes & posts you may have missed
Chilled Strawberry Gazpacho
Strawberry Gazpacho — A Chilled Summer Soup » When the weather turns warm, I can hardly wait to eat on the deck - breakfast, lunch or dinner - they all work for me. Although it seemed like an eternity, the small trees we planted in our yard have transformed our deck...
Strawberry Lemon Bars
Sweet Strawberry Lemon Bars — Oh, those sweet, juicy strawberries that have been so hard to resist this spring, are the inspiration for these strawberry lemon bars. It seems like I have been going "berry crazy", creating and sharing yummy recipes for strawberry butter...
Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Bars —
Baked Oatmeal Bars | A Quick and Healthy Breakfast — I love the kind of mornings where you can linger over a cup of coffee and allow the day to gently unfold. But realistically, that only seems to happen on the weekends. Instead, my mornings often begin in a crazy...
Roasted Tomato Butter
Delicious Roasted Tomato Flavor — Savory and sweet are the yin and yang of flavor profiles. One isn’t necessarily better than the other, it's just a matter of personal preference. After writing my first “Gotta Go” Post about the opening of Meshuhggah Bagels in...
Fresh Strawberry Butter
Strawberry Season — If you love a hint of sweetness on top of your favorite bagel, biscuit or scone, then this is a recipe you have to try. Simple and delicious, it's made with just 4 ingredients, and the food processor does all the work. I used a combination...
Roasted Tomato Bruschetta Salad
Roasted Tomato Bruschetta Salad — Hello Spring! I’m glad you’re here. After months of enduring winter, the warmer temps and sunnier days have it finally receding from my mind. Now a shift is taking place away from the heavy, feel-good foods that help me trudge through...
Italian Frittata
Frittata — An Italian Omelet For a Crowd Sunday is Easter, and personally, there is no Easter without Easter brunch. It's a special occasion at my house, a chance to be in the company of my favorite people, and reacquaint them with the flavors of fresh spring...
Blood Orange Cake with Honey Syrup
Blood Orange Cake with Honey Syrup I've made this blood orange cake several times over the last few months, but I've haven't gotten around to posting the recipe until now. I wanted to get this recipe out, because I think it would make a perfect pairing for Easter...
Irish Cream Scones – Easy Recipe
Irish Cream Scones - Happy St. Patrick's Day! You can take the girl out of Chicago, but you can never take the Chicago out of the girl. I'm fondly thinking of my hometown with St. Patrick's Day just a few days away. Chicago celebrates St. Patrick's Day by turning...
No-Knead Bread – 5 Minute Recipe
No-Knead Bread - Baked in a Dutch Oven - 5 Minute Recipe When was the last time someone served you homemade bread? Yeah, I can't remember either. That's probably because making traditional bread is a multi-step process that requires a lot of time and patience, which...
Parmesan Artichoke Soup —
Artichoke Soup: It seems the "Heart" continues as my theme for February. Last post I created a recipe for a healthier chocolate mousse, connecting the love of chocolate with Valentine's Day and pairing it with the love and care of our own hearts, in recognition of...
Chocolate Mousse: Its Love at First Bite!
A Healthier Chocolate Mousse Recipe — Nothing seems to say, "I love You", like chocolate, right? With Valentine’s Day just a few days away, I thought I'd try my hand at creating a chocolate mousse that would taste indulgent, but not undo my New Years resolution to eat...
And You Can Quote Me On That . . .
