Hi, I’m glad you stopped by!
Hi, I’m Kay, and I love cooking and sharing recipes from my rich Cajun heritage. I was born and raised in south Louisiana in the parish of Vermilion, the gateway to the wetlands in the heart of Acadiana. I grew up amongst French-speaking people who believe that food, family, and living life to the fullest are most important. I’m doing my best to represent my culture authentically and to keep it alive for generations to come.
Here you’ll find everything from gumbos to étouffée and beignets with a few stories along the way about growing up in Acadiana. Cajun cuisine may not be your favorite, so I’ve included other delicious dishes to enjoy. I also have a fancy for kitchen gadgets, trendy eats, hints for better cooking, and great Louisiana products.
So have a look around! Find something scrumptious to cook up for yourself and the ones you love and have a peek into some Cajun culture.
My Story
My name is Kay Hartshorn, a Louisiana woman married to a Mississippi man.
(Cue the Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty song.)
Steve and I live here in the Southeast corner of Arkansas in an area called the ArkLaMiss with our Weimaraner, Cord.
I began this blog with a desire to share the gift of food and the unique culture of my southern Louisiana roots, making this a means of preserving my heritage for my children and grandchildren.
Acadiana is a place of wetlands in the middle of the boot just above the coast of The Gulf Of Mexico and south of Louisiana’s Interstate 10. My childhood home is near the center of Vermilion Parish where not too long ago the only language spoken was Cajun French, and the primary sources of living were fishing, rice, and cattle farming.
It is also a place of unique eats where many start with a roux. Its geographic area attributes to the abundance of fresh seafood giving the opportunity for many different dishes for the Cajun diet. It is the land of roux and crawfish!
Growing up in South Louisiana always seemed like a normal life to me. Then I found out different when I moved away to attend mortuary college in Houston, TX. I know, not a normal thing one does. You see, my uncle owned funeral homes in Vermilion Parish, so the funeral business and its ceremonial burying of loved ones in a respectful manner are very familiar to me.
Living in Houston was an eye-opening experience of just how different and unique life in Acadiana is. I became aware of the curiosity people have for the Cajun culture, but I was just as curious about life outside of those bayou boundaries. It’s probably what drew me to that young Mississippi man I met and later married. We have 3 married children and 5 grandchildren, and I am still drawn to that Mississippi man today and thankful to God for ordering our steps toward each other.
Now, becoming a funeral director, marrying one and owning our own funeral home was not in any of my childhood dreams or plans. However, this life has proved to be the fulfillment of God’s call on us. Through serving families in our community, we have grown to appreciate this kind of life and its opportunity to help others along their way.
Although we are both Southerners, our cultures are different. I think the link that bound us together was our raising. We both grew up with a strong faith in God and close family ties with our grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.
We each had experienced sleepovers at our grandparent’s with cousins during summer break and weekends along with Holiday gatherings. And all of it included good food, but with many differences.
The unfolding of the foods we grew up eating and their preparations have been an exciting adventure. Few are similar, and some, if not most, are very contrasting. There are foods like boudin, which Mississippians have nothing to compare it with, were often turned away from until that first bite. Now it’s a staple in our freezer.
I’m glad you’re here. Go ahead and take a look around to see what you can find. Enjoy!
Oh, how I love your blogging!! I can’t wait for more!! Brings back so many memories!!
Thank you, baby sister. So excited to bring you more!
Love, Love, Love your recipes and stories!!
Thank you!
Thank you, DeAnn!
Thank you for following my blog, look forward to catching up on yours!
My pleasure!
HOW CAN I FIND YOUR PECAN PRALINE RECIPE? I WAS ADVISED BY ANNE CARPENTER
THAT IS THE BEST PECAN PRALINE RECIPE EVER!! I SIMPLY CANT FIND IT. I’M NOT TOO SMART WHEN IT COMES TO THESE C0MPUTERS. CAN YOU PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR RECIPE? IM LISTING ME EMAIL BELOW.
Sure! It’s easy if you go to my blog and type pralines in the search box it will pull it up for you. I will send an email but your address isn’t showing in the message. I’ll keep looking for your email address to show up.
I love the blueberry pot pie! What a memory for me, different in that my Grandmother’s were baked more like blackberry pies, but think I’m going to have to change, at least once. I continued reading down, found the tea cake, another memory, then got to the root berr. Oh Heavens, that stopped me. I immediately went to Zatatains web site which I have on my home page and ordered 2 bottles .I remember being given the uncarbenated as a child, I remember giving it to my children as little ones, but it’s been years since I tasted it, at least 30(oh gosh). I can’t wait for my delivery man to bring it in a few days to bring those precious memories back. I thank you for reminding me of 2 things, tea cakes & homemade root beer! Laurie
You are quite welcome, Laurie! Wow, you’ve made my day! Seems like we’ve had similar upbringings. Every once in a while I make a pitcher of homemade root beer for my children and it brings back good memories to all of us. Have a blessed day!
Hello! I stumbled across your blog after googling different cajun/creole recipes. After seeing so many of your recipes looking to be “the real deal” (as they are what I grew up on and VERY similar to how my family cooks), I realized it’s because you are from Vermilion Parish! My family also hails from Vermilion Parish, specifically Kaplan, LA. After my dad retired from the Air Force, we settled in Austin, TX, where I still live today. However, we still visit our many relatives in Kaplan whenever we get a chance, particularly my cousins Mrs. Earline Roy, Mr. Leroy Broussard (retired Dean of Admissions at UL Lafayette), and my aunt Mrs. Leontine Romero Hebert before she recently passed at 101 years old. Certainly, I will now be a new frequent follower of your wonderful blog!! Thanks for sharing your amazing recipes and stories with us! (Btw, I just posted this under your Shrimp Stew recipe before realizing it was the wrong place.. oops…)
Thank you for you blog and sharing your Cajun heritage.?. My husband of 15 years is from Houma and I’ve fallen in love with the culture of South Louisiana. Because of that, I’ve made it my mission to become a pretty darn good Cajun cook.?. I’m so happy to have stumbled across your blog, as I’m always in search of different and authentic recipes. Thanks again, Sarah
It is my pleasure to share my precious God given heritage with you, Sarah. If there is anything more I can do for you please let me know. You are one of the reasons I began this blog journey and I thank you for giving me fuel to continue. ? ❤️
hi there great blog I just started a blog myself. I live in Lafayette and cooking is my passion. all my recipes are created by me and for many years I kept them secret. Just recently i realized when I die they will be gone forever. So I decided to start sharing them with the world. But I am very new at this Blogging that is and so i would like to reach out to other bloggers especially local ones that share my passion for cooking.
Well, hello! Congratulations on starting your blog. I’m happy to know you are ready to share with all of us your cooking creations and I’m looking forward to seeing them. Every blogger has started right where you are. Let me know how I can help.
How can I sign up for your blog again? I haven’t gotten anything for a while. I think it got bounced when I was in the hospital not long ago. I can’t find any place to sign up for your blog now. I would really love to get it again. I loved getting recipes from home. I’ve been gone a long time but still miss it greatly. Recipes from home keeps me connected. Thanks
Hi, mizdsy47! I hope you are feeling better. I have been taking care of my mother who has been sick along with my sisters and haven’t published any new recipes lately. Your message is encouraging to know they’ve been missed. I hope to publish a new one soon and you should receive it without having to sign back up. Thanks for letting me know!
I hope your mother and sister are doing well now. I took care of my daddy the last seven years of his life and the last couple were pretty hard, he had Parkinson’s but I would do it again in a heartbeat. I’m glad to know I didn’t loose you, and I’ll be looking forward to getting your new recipes.
Thank you! She is resting well and happy to be in her own home. I understand what you mean. I wouldn’t trade these past 3 months for anything. It’s drawn our family closer and we’ve seen God’s loving faithfulness through it all. Look for new recipes soon! ?
Hi it’s Mizdaisy47 again. I have had medical problems myself that’s put me in the hospital and now I’m afraid I’ve lost you again. My mailbox got to full and they bounced naturally all my recipe emails while taking up space telling me they did. Anyway I realized that I had not gotten my recipe from your blog in a while. I look forward to my recipes from home so I want to make sure to sign up for your blog again. I don’t know several others I’ve found had gotten dropped and I had to sign up again.
Hope all is well with you and your family now.