3 Things My Cajun Mimi Taught Me Before Age 10
Pearl River Nana wisdom that still runs NanaTee’s Cajun Home today
If you grew up Cajun, you didn’t learn from cookbooks. You learned from watching your Mimi stir a pot for 45 minutes without talking, while Aunt Hazel packed a purse that could survive the apocalypse and Aunt Monette side-eyed any bathroom that looked like a “spider motel.”
That’s me in the photo – the baby. Mimi on the left, Aunt Hazel in the middle, Aunt Monette on the right. Ponchatoula, Louisiana, circa when wood paneling was a design choice and not a cry for help.
Everything you read on NanaTee’s Cajun Home – from my I-10 Bathroom Stop Guide to my 12 Things in a Cajun Pantry – started with amazing women. Here are the 3 lessons that stuck, and why I still live by them at 57.
1. Mimi’s Roux Law: “You Can’t Rush What’s Sacred”
The Lesson: Age 8. Mimi handed me a wooden spoon, pointed at a cast iron pot, and said, “Stir. Don’t stop. Don’t you dare walk away to pee. If it burns, we start over and you’re eating bologna sandwiches.”
45 minutes later, my arm hurt and the roux was chocolate-dark. That pot of gumbo fed 12 people that Sunday.
Why It Matters Today:
A light roux is just flour with commitment issues, sha. Mimi taught me patience isn’t just for cooking – it’s for life. You can’t rush grandkids, you can’t rush healing, and you sure can’t rush a pot of gumbo.
2. Aunt Hazel’s Road Trip Law: “Pack Like the Gas Station Bathrooms Are Closed”
The Lesson: Age 9. Road trip. Aunt Hazel’s purse had: wet wipes, Poo-Pourri, a flashlight, $40 cash “for emergencies,” crackers, a fork, and a roll of toilet paper. “Because Louisiana bathrooms are spider motels, bébé. Be prepared or be sorry.”
We hit a rest stop on I-10. No toilet paper. Aunt Hazel saved the day. I’ve never traveled without wet wipes since.
Why It Matters Today:
Aunt Hazel is why I wrote I-10 Bathroom Stops: Pearl River to Lake Charles Without a Crisis. I still keep a “road trip kit” in my car with her exact list. Nanas don’t get stranded.
The difference between a good road trip and a disaster is a pack of wet wipes.
3. Aunt Monette’s Kitchen Law: “No Flip Flops by the Hot Grease”
The Lesson: Age 7. I ran into the kitchen in flip flops. She stopped, pointed at my feet, and said, “You want to go to the ER? Cause that’s where hot grease + bare feet sends you.”
Why It Matters Today:
Aunt Monette taught me respect for the kitchen. Hot roux, hot grease, hot tempers – they’ll all scar you if you’re careless. That’s why I wrote NanaTee’s Kitchen Safety Rules. Every grandkid who cooks in my kitchen learns them first.
My 12 Things in a Cajun Pantry post? Rule #1 is a Magnalite pot with a lid – “for grease fires, not hats,” as Aunt Monette said.
Nana’s Next Steps for You:
1. Start Here: Read 12 Things in a Cajun Pantry – it’s Mimi’s exact pantry list.
2. Road Trip Ready: Grab my I-10 Bathroom Stop Guide before your next trip to Slidell, Lake Charles or anywhere in between.
Got a Mimi story? Comment below or find me on Pinterest @NanaTeesCajunHome. I read every single one. If your Mimi was anything like mine, we’re basically cousins now.
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