So, my adoption story continues with the discovery that my birth mother had been in contact with my birth father all the time. She had been in touch with him over the years, meeting him often. She knew where he lived, about his married life, where he worked, all about his family, and was able to contact him for me to organise a meeting so that I could meet him too. Meeting my birth father wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. When I think about this, it seems disconcerting

In all the years that I have been travelling, this is the first time I have ventured into Portugal, and I am surprised at what an amazing country it is. The food, the people, the landscape, the architecture, and the history overwhelmed me and have made me want to go back for more. In my recent travels, I have highlighted the following towns that stood out for me as definitely my favourite gems of the country. Belém, Lisbon Lisbon’s beauty has captivated people from around the

In my head, I have this very vivid memory, the first memory that I can remember. It's me with my Mum patting a white dog that came up to my waist. I can recall the action and sensation of slowly patting the dog over and over again, and singing to it. My hand was slowly patting the dog as it was about waist high beside me. If I close my eyes, I can actually bring up that memory and pat that dog again. Am I crazy? That first memory has stayed with me all my life. I have been do

It’s hard to write about my daughter, Bec, in the past tense, but I want to begin with who she was, and what she built, before I say anything about what cancer took. If you ever met her, you probably remember the details: the way she always looked polished, not flashy, just effortlessly classy, and the way she could walk into a room and make it feel calmer and warmer, like she’d quietly adjusted the lighting in the whole place. She created beauty for a living in the worl

These colourful halloumi and vegetable skewers are perfect for BBQs and entertaining. Easy, family-friendly and packed with flavour, they’re a delicious crowd-pleaser.

A quick and easy 10-Minute Lemon Ricotta Pasta made with whole milk ricotta, lemon and Parmesan. A fresh, creamy weeknight meal from the kitchen of Lunch with Louise.

After 50 years in business, I’m sharing why the right business coach can transform your success. Whether you're growing in regional NSW or scaling nationally, this blog covers what to look for, questions to ask, and how to find a coach who aligns with your values.

Learn how to make fresh whole milk ricotta right here in the Hunter Valley! This simple homemade cheese recipe is perfect for beginners and can be used in salads, pasta, and desserts. Soft, creamy, and full of country flavour!

Fresh, colourful, and bursting with flavour, this is not your average salad! Want to know my secrets for making a summer salad that turns heads and tastes incredible? It’s all in the colour, crunch, and the dressing (yes, I share my favourites too!)

My birth mother lived two streets away from where my Mum and Dad had retired to, in a sleepy little village near the sea. Mum and Dad had been there for 12 years, but somehow, they had never crossed paths in such a small community. I was living in Australia, and so Mum and Dad got to know my birth mother well before I had a chance to meet her face-to-face. My birth mother was furious that her mother hadn’t passed on the information that I was looking for her and, also, hurt t

As I was talking to some customers in my café the other day, I related to them my adoption story after learning they had two adopted...

This is a quick and easy dessert that only takes 15 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook. You can easily adapt it to suit the...

This soup has a long history going back to its roots in South India as a simple pepper water broth called “Mil-agu thanni” in Tamil. It...

There are many versions of the old-fashioned Bread and Butter Pudding. This one uses croissants, but it could also be changed to use...

OMG how the years have flown by. In year 2000, I left my partner and started my life as a single girl. I can’t believe that it’s been 24...

This is my version of a Green Goddess Dressing, but with a few extra ingredients to make it nice and tasty. I use this on everything – as...

How families change over the years! Mine certainly has. I grew up in a family of six—two grandparents, two parents, myself and my younger...

Here I am writing this blog in the country. I love to sit somewhere peaceful with a view to write. It inspires me and gets all the...

Here I am, sitting in my lounge room surrounded by untidy chaos. The irony is that I’m writing a blog about cleaning. YUK – cleaning is...

This is the time of year when there’s always an overabundance of food left over from Christmas and New Year. It’s a great time to change...