Hi, I’m Joy! You may know me as The Bayou Belle, where you found many of my recipes and my love for cooking.
I am still here, cooking and loving creating, but in 2023 my life took a drastic change. After being really sick for many years, I was finally diagnosed with cancer.
Everything happened really fast after my diagnosis with Neuroendocrine peri-ampullary cancer. It’s a mouth full, I know! And not a tasty one at that, sadly.
In 2023, I underwent a Whipple (pancreaticoduodenectomy), which has removed my tumors. However, the procedure itself has failed, and now in August 2025 I will be having yet another one to hopefully fix the problems I have still been having.
I am still cooking, and will update as I can here, as well as updating old recipes. But now, you will find more than just recipes. I hope to encourage people who may be in the same situation as myself.
Whether you’re sick, a busy parent, or someone who is just looking for delicious recipes, I hope this will be a place you fall in love with.
*All photos are originals and copyrighted