Mardi Gras 2012

Well, we survived another Mardi Gras! We had an absolutely fabulous time and are excited to share with you our experience at the Houmas parade!

***Warning! There will be a lot of photos that captured these events. :)



As always, there was wonderful food!

What better Cajun cuisine to enjoy than our traditional boiled crawfish!

 

Then, there were your festive parade-goers!

Yes! She is wearing a shower curtain, and him a Bud Light cardboard box as a hat! lol

 

Who can forget the king?!

The floats were creative as well, honoring our military and your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man!





Now, how about them float riders! They were feeling the parties in the streets!

Next up were the bands! And man, did they perform?!



Check out those tuba covers! They are now required to be protected from the beads, since they have had issues with people throwing them into the instrucments.

Another form of entertainment we look forward to every year is the Selucrey's! They are a group of men who "get down" to loud music blaring from their infamous rides! Check out these cool cats!

Of course there is always something that ruins a good time! Luckily for these guys, us Cajuns are known for our Southern Hospitality! They needed help, and we jumped right in!

Okay, now Back To The Future! lol

More music was enjoyed thanks to these guys!

Which finally leads us to our "Dirty Mardi Gras Trade & Giveaway"! I know what all of you are probably thinking! None of you seen any dirty bead photos, huh? Well, that's because we did not receive any entries in our contest. Bummer! But that doesn't mean that we are off the hook!

We caught many "dirty" beads, some of them in twos! That means we can share! The lucky person who wins this contest, unbenounced to her, is our friend Jenni, The Pastry Chef Online! We can't thank her enough for her support and for sharing this event with her fans! For that, we would like to provide her with some "Dirty Beads" we have personally caught this Mardi Gras Season 2012! In addition, we'll be shipping her some samples of our spices! You just never know when Mr. Pete will throw a curveball! He is certainly unpredictable!

We enjoyed a fabulous Mardi Gras season! If you were not able to participate in this joyous holiday, we hope that you enjoyed the photos we shared!

Drive-Thru Daiquiri Shops... Only in Louisiana!

Yes people! Louisiana is known for the food, the people, the culture, and the partying! During Mardi Gras, it is definitely no different!

As I drive through the familiar streets of Houma, LA, I see remnants of throws left behind from parade-goers. However, when you are traveling these same roads prior to the parade's start, you'll notice the vehicles lining the streets, crowds of people gathering together, many barbeque pits lit or boilers fired up, lots of kids running around, loud music playing... And there's one thing in common mostly. Alcohol!

Us Louisianians know how to have a good time! That's no secret! Sometimes, those good times involve alcohol; and Louisiana is just the place to be when you feel the need for a little liquor in your blood! All you have to do is find the local drive-thru. That's right! Just about every town in Louisiana has at least one. Houma has four that I personally know of, not including the surrounding area locations.

Whether you want a beer or jello shots, or feel like a cup of Jack Daniels or Crown Royal, you can order anything right from a window. While socializing with friends and enjoying this great celebration, I like to sip on an ice cold daiquiri! This year instead of walking back and forth to the daiquiri shop, becauses I prefer not to drink and drive, I have decided to make my own fresh frozen daiquiris and save a couple bucks doing so! I thought I would share with all of our Mardi Gras friends as well as our friends who like to enjoy a cocktail from time to time this great recipe I am using this season!

Fresh Frozen Strawberry Daiquiris

Ingredients: 4 fresh strawberries, sliced

                   1/2 oz. strawberry schnapps
                   1 oz. lime juice
                   1 tsp. powdered sugar
                   2 oz. preferred Rum, I used Bicardi for the flavor
                   4-6 ice cubes
                   whipped cream in the can
                   1 cherry for garnish, or use1 strawberry slice


Directions: Combine all ingredients, except the whipped cream and the cherry or strawberry slice, into a blender and blend. Pour into a cocktail glass and top with whipped cream and cherry or strawberry slice. This is so easy, you can whip up a drink for your friends in no time just before the parade rolls or when you are relaxing by the pool this summer!

The kids just love feeling like the grown-ups too! Use the same recipe, just eliminate the liquor, to enjoy a nice refreshing Virgin Daiquiri! While you are at it, visit your local grocery and pick you up some of Mr. Pete's Cajun Spices to spice up your favorite Mardi Gras meals! We hope you all enjoy a safe and Happy Mardi Gras! Get Hooked On It!!!

"Dirty" Mardi Gras "Trade & Giveaway"!

Tonight kicks off the Mardi Gras Festivities in Houma, LA, with Hercules rolling down West Park and on to Main Street ending on Barrow Street! Although, New Orleans has been partying for the last week! ***jealous face*** That is okay though. We are going to catch up for sure! This time of year is very special to our heritage; but is more than just partying. Seriously!

Here's some facts surrounding this great holiday! Mardi Gras means "Tuesday party", also known as "Fat Tuesday". It is celebrated because the day after, or Ash Wednesday in the Catholic religion, is supposed to be a day of fasting. The early settlers in this area celebrated differently than we do today; however, we have continued the tradition of the celebration by incorporating good food, good friends, and plenty of partying! Maybe moreso than we should! lol




So what does all of this have to do with the giveaway, you ask? Here goes...

Mr. Pete has a secret obsession! Are you ready?

Mr. Pete has a collection, an infatuation really! Every year for Mardi Gras, Mr. Pete becomes a hunter. Not with a bow or gun or anything like that. He hunts for specialty beads! Yes! Mr. Pete has a secret collection of, what I like to call, "Dirty Beads"! Now, I know what you all are thinking, and that's not it!!! lol He just loves Mardi Gras beads with a "bayou" theme. Now that I've aired out all his dirty laundry, hence the phrase "Dirty Beads", here are a few pieces in his collection.

Now don't tell Mr. Pete that I was handling his "Dirty Beads"!

I know what you are all thinking! Get to the point of the Trade & Giveaway? What is a Trade & Giveaway anyway? Well, I wanted this to be fun and interesting for everyone, whether you are able to join in the festivities or not. So, this is the plan!

We want to see your throws! Send us your pics of the specialty beads you catch! We are looking for the unusual, "bayou-themed beads! For those who are unable to be a part of this wonderful party, we want to share with you how creative our throws are! We will be choosing 2 winners! One winner will be chosen for their photo entry. Here's the catch! Whoever wins will have to trade their specialty bead for some Cajun spices! A second winner, outside of Louisiana, will be chosen for their participation and will recieve the bead chosen and of course a spicy treat!

So there you have it! Post a picture of the most unique bead or make the most unique comment, and you can win this delicious and fun Trade & Giveaway!

Happy "Dirty" Mardi Gras!

*Winners will be chosen and announced on Fat Tuesday. Winners will have 48 hours to respond to their winnings. If no response is received, another winner will be chosen. All "picture" entrants must be willing to relinquish and mail their bead (pictured) to: Mr. Pete's Cajun Spices, 353 Ozia Skyline Drive, Houma, LA 70364. Thank you to all entries!

Welcome!

As some of you may know, I am the other half of Mr. Pete, or the better half as I like to say. lol All jokes aside, I am the person behind the scenes bringing to you the authentic Cajun flavors of Mr. Pete!

Here we are, Mr. Pete and I, celebrating one of our customer's 25th Anniversary!

A LITTLE HISTORY FIRST:

My father-in-law is the "original" Mr. Pete. He began creating his own blends of spices many moons ago in his restaurants. Some of you may be familiar with Miss Brandie's Seafood Restaurant in Houma, LA. If you are not, it was a well-known restaurant delivering the finest most authentic Cajun dishes for the locals to enjoy. Since its untimely demise by fire, Mr. Pete knew he still wanted to offer his same great blends to his customers and his friends. So he and my husband began mixing! In 2006, my father in law opened the business. For the six years my fil ran the business, he was able to grow his market and offer his product line at many of the local markets.



Cory and his Dad (the "original Mr. Pete) cooking a Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya with Fried Catfish! Yum!

THE TAKE OVER:

My husband and I were approached by him in July of last year (2011) to take over the business, as his time would not allow for this great feat. We were thrilled with his faith in our abilities to continue to offer his blends to the people. And so began our journey...

We immeditately began talking to everyone who would listen about these products. We participated in many local charity events, ran articles in local newpapers, and offered promotions on our products. We have also begun demonstrating the products in various supermarkets. After all, we believe that once you try it, you'll Get Hooked On It!!!

We managed to grow our market to include more locations in Southeast Louisiana and Mississippi! We are also very excited about our newest client, who will be offering our products from Texas to Florida! We are extremely  proud of our products, and we are adding new ones each coming day! You can find all of our products for purchase here.

WHAT WE DO:

We have entered the world of social media to share, not only our authentic southern seasonings, but also our Cajun cuisine. We offer you traditional Cajun recipes and delicious chats. So come in, have a seat at our table, and let us show you what we're cooking in our Cajun kitchen! If you do try any of our products and/or dishes, please let us know! We love feedback from our customers and our friends!

Each day brings new and exciting ventures for us, and we are excited to share with you our  progress and success!

So, now that you know a little more about our family operation, feel free to ask any questions and post any comments. Also, please bare with us while we go through this new blogging adventure! lol

Thanks for joining us!

Shantell & Cory Neil
aka. Mr. & Mrs. Pete