Operation Sauce Drop is Open Again!

Operation Sauce Drop is once again accepting requests for free gift boxes of sauce for our brave military personnel serving at APO and FPO addresses! Thanks to the contributions of over 150 donors (including two very generous "angels" in California and NC) and the Carolina Sauce Company, Operation Sauce Drop has sent free BBQ sauce and hot sauce gift boxes to 830 US troops serving abroad. We have now caught up with all the requests on our waiting list and have re-opened our Military Sign-Up page where troops with an APO or FPO address can sign up to receive a free sauce gift box of their choice. Gift boxes are shipped at NO COST to them, and requests are fulfilled on a first-come, first-served basis provided there are funds in the Operation Sauce Drop account.

Operation Sauce Drop is funded through donations as well as through the sale of products in the Shop to Support Operation Sauce Drop program. Additionally, the Carolina Sauce Company donates all of the labor and shipping materials, and pays for all the incidental costs associated with Operation Sauce Drop, thereby ensuring that 100% of all donated funds and "Shop to Support" funds are used ONLY to pay for the gift boxes and shipping. The average cost to purchase and ship a free gift box to a deployed serviceperson is about $20. The troops greatly appreciate receiving a free taste of home to spice up their meals, as you can see from their thank you notes to donors and photos. This holiday season, please donate to Operation Sauce Drop to send free gift boxes of hot sauce & BBQ sauce to our troops. And if you enjoy barbecue sauce and other zesty products, please treat yourself while supporting our troops by shopping to support Operation Sauce Drop.

Finally, if you're a member of our Armed Forces at an APO or FPO address, we invite you to sign up for a free gift box of sauce, and we thank you for serving our country!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Susie's Papaya Delight Hot Sauce is Back!

At long last, and just in time for the holidays, Susie's Papaya Delight Hot Sauce is finally available again and in stock at the Carolina Sauce Company online store! This much-missed fruity hot sauce from Antigua is a favorite of folks who enjoy Caribbean cuisine and tropical flavors. The primary ingredient is sun-ripened papaya, which gives this mouthwatering hot sauce its authentic island taste. Sugarcane syrup is added to naturally sweeten the sauce, and a touch of Caribbean hot peppers adds just the right amount of heat. Susie's Papaya Delight is ideal for fish and seafood dishes as well as chicken and other poultry, and its sweet fruit flavor is also a wonderful counterpoint to grilled food including pork and other meat. Virtually impossible to find outside of the Caribbean -- and often difficult to keep in stock due to its being made in small batches -- now is the time to order Susie's Papaya Delight Hot Sauce before we run out again!

And for fans of other flavors of Susie's Hot Sauce, I have more good news: the hot & spicy mustard-based Susie's Original Hot Sauce is currently in stock, as is the tangy-sweet and mildly spicy Susie's Tamarind Tango (limited quantities available of this one). We expect to have both the lusciously sweet Susie's Pineapple Pleasure and the savory-hot Susie's Calypso Hot Sauce in stock before the end of November. Go ahead and pre-order now to reserve your hot sauce, as supplies will be limited and orders will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

PS: Susie's Original Hot Sauce is a no carb hot sauce, while Susie's Tamarind Tango, Susie's Pineapple Pleasure and Susie's Papaya Delight are all very low sodium hot sauces.

Spicy Maple Pork Chops

You can make this mouthwatering recipe on the grill or under the broiler. If you marinate the pork chops overnight in the sauce, they're even tastier, but you can also simply baste and cook if you don't have time to marinate. If you do marinate, make sure to do so in the refrigerator, discard the used marinade when you remove the pork chops, and baste with fresh sauce from the bottle while cooking. The ingredient quantities are flexible and depend on how many folks you're feeding. I usually plan on 1 pork chop per person.

Ingredients
Thin, center-cut pork chops, 1 or 2 per person
Bear-Man Sap-Happy Golden Bear Maple Sauce

If desired, marinate the pork chops overnight in a resealable plastic bag, pouring in enough Sap Happy Golden Bear Maple Sauce to cover the pork chops. Marinate in the refrigerator overnight, and discard used marinade before cooking the pork chops.

Preheat grill to medium-high, OR preheat broiler. Place pork chops on grill OR on broiler pan and baste with Sap-Happy Golden Bear Maple Sauce, flip and baste other side. Place under broiler OR grill over direct heat with lid closed for 5 to 7 minutes per side, basting each side with more sauce, and cook until well-done (use a meat thermometer to make sure the internal temperature reaches 160F degrees).

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Carolina Sauce Newsletter: Earlybird Christmas & Holiday Sale!

Holiday Coupon Savings & Earlybird Christmas Sale!

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, or you're looking for fresh new flavors for your Thanksgiving feast, we have something for every taste at great low prices. And now through November 29th, you'll get 10% off EVERYTHING, including already-discounted sale items, when you shop at the Carolina Sauce Company! Simply order at least $40 in products and use coupon code BLOG1209, and we'll give you 10% off the product total through November 29th. Enter the coupon online in the "coupon code" section of the billing page, or mention the coupon when ordering by phone. To help you get started, check out our new Gift Boxes & Gift Sets and other zesty new products listed below. But don't delay - the Earlybird Coupon BLOG1209 expires on Sunday, Nov. 29th!

Still can't decide on what to get a foodie or chilehead? Send them an electronic Gift Certificate, with no expiration date!

New Gift Boxes & Other New Products
Our final new products for 2009 have arrived, and many are on sale for the holidays! We've also added a bunch of new gift boxes ranging from mild to wild, ready to be gift-wrapped and given to that special someone. Here's what's new:

New Sweet Stuff
*Mrs. Picky Fanicky's Zesty Peach Cocktail MmmMarmalade is a decadently rich, thick, chunky and sweet old-fashioned peach marmalade with a citrusy twist that's hand-made in rural North Carolina -- and it's on sale!

New Hot Sauces
*Conquering Lion Hot Sauces are back in stock! All-natural, mostly organic and hand-made in West Virginia, these rich & robust hot sauces are made with hickory-smoked tomatoes, habaneros and cayennes for hearty smoky flavor and peppery fire. Available in original Hickory-Smoked Habanero, subtly sweet & seriously spicy Mango Habanero, and super-hot XXX Habanero. All 3 flavors are on sale!
*Tortuga Sweet Heat Caribbean Pepper Sauce: A uniquely delicious tropical hot sauce from Barbados featuring sweet-tart Carambola (star fruit) and fiery scotch bonnet peppers -- and it's on sale!
*Walkerswood One Stop Savory Sauce from Jamaica blends bananas, mangoes and raisins with hot peppers and exotic spices to add authentic island flavor to savory dishes -- and it's only $3.95!

New Gift Boxes
*Pepper Jelly Gift Boxes: Hand-made on a family farm in the North Carolina mountains, our tasty and beautiful pepper jellies come in brilliant Green and Red, and both colors are available in Mild and Hot. Select any 2 jars to be packed in a handsome white gift box with the Carolina Sauce logo. Our pepper jelly gift boxes are on sale, too!
*Ass Kickin' Mustard Gift Box comes with two jars of fiery-hot Ass Kickin' mustard
*Bubba's Hot Sauce Gift Box holds 2 jars of the tomato-rich, spicy-hot Bubba's Special Sauce from Alabama
*Crab Cake Sauce Gift Box comes with 2 jars of Thomas Gourmet Crab Cake Sauce from North Carolina
*Marmalade & Chutney Gift Boxes feature your choice of 2 jars of Mrs. Picky Fanicky's award-winning marmalades (available in Apple Pie and Zesty Peach Cocktail) and NC chutney (made with mountain apples and ripe peaches), and they come with delightful recipe ideas on a pretty notecard, too!
*Peach & Vidalia Onion Salsa Gift Box comes with 2 jars of sublimely summery and richly flavorful Peach & Vidalia Onion Salsa
*Red's Sweet Salsa Gift Box includes 2 jars of the thick & chunky sweet tomato salsa from North Carolina
*Scorned Woman Mustard Gift Box holds 2 jars of this fiery best-selling mustard
*Scorned Woman Salsa Gift Box comes with 2 jars of this thick and smooth, medium-hot tomato salsa
*Thomas Gourmet Chutney Gift Boxes: You select 2 jars of all-natural chutney (choose from Apple, Mango, Peach and Green Tomato) and we'll pack them in our beautiful white gift box with the Carolina Sauce logo
*White Wine Dijon Mustard Gift Box comes with 2 jars of this exquisite gourmet dipping mustard from Burning Asphalt in upstate NY
*Tortuga Caribbean Sauces Gift Packs feature 3 bottles of tropical Tortuga sauces from Jamaica, Barbados and other Caribbean islands. The Savory Sauces Gift Box comes with Tortuga Caribbean Hell-Fire Sauce, Jamaican Jerk Sauce, and Caribbean Steak Sauce. The Sweet & Savory Gift Box comes with Tortuga Sweet Heat Caribbean Pepper Sauce, Spicy Seafood Grill Sauce, and Mango & Ginger Stir-Fry Sauce. Each box is only $9.99 and comes with recipes, too!

Operation Sauce Drop Ships Free Sauce to Over 800 Troops!
Operation Sauce Drop is our non-profit program that sends free gift boxes of sauce to US military personnel stationed abroad. To date, we've shipped over 800 free gift boxes to our deployed military, and once we're finished with our waiting list we'll resume accepting new gift box requests from our troops. The cost to purchase and ship each free gift box is around $20. The troops really appreciate the free sauce, as you can see from the thank-you notes to donors and photos they've sent in. Want to send a soldier a taste of home this Christmas, and bring a smile to his or her face? Then please donate to Operation Sauce Drop. You can also shop to support Operation Sauce Drop, where some or all of the purchase price of the products goes straight into Operation Sauce Drop (you get the products you order, and the money you pay is used to send free sauce to the troops).

Lobster, Steak, Gourmet Coffee, Wine Accessories, Fresh Flowers & Gourmet Gift Baskets



Treat yourself or a special someone to lobster so fresh and sweet, it could only have come from Lobster Gram! In the mood for mouthwatering gourmet steaks? We have those, too, from La Cense Beef. You can also try the world-renowned Gevalia coffees and get your FREE Coffeemaker today! Need a gift for a wine enthusiast, or in the market for wine accessories for yourself? Shop now and save on wine acessories and wine cellars . For a special gourmet gift, select from bountiful gourmet gift baskets loaded with fabulous foods, delightful snacks and candy confections, specialty teas, and more. Need to send flowers? Order fresh flower bouquets direct from the grower, and send florist-arranged flowers of the highest quality, all at a reasonable price. Next-day and even same-day delivery options available! Personalize your floral gift with your own digital photo and card by selecting a "PhotoBlooms" gift. Simply click on the boxes above to browse our offerings and select that special gift that says "I love you," "I'm sorry," "Thanks so much," "Congratulations," or anything else you want to express.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Easy Sweet Potatoes with Apple Sauce

Here's a simple recipe the whole family will love. You can make it in the oven or the microwave. Serves 2 to 4 (depending on how hungry you are), and you can double it if you need to feed more!

Ingredients
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch chunks
1 cup apple sauce - I recommend Mullen's Apple Sauce
1/2 cup raisins (golden or regular) OR dried cranberries, or a combination
1 Tbs brandy OR dark rum (you can substitute brandy flavoring or rum flavoring)

Cook the sweet potato slices until just tender: You can steam, microwave or boil them as you prefer. Transfer the sweet potato slices to a 1-quart casserole (make sure it's microwave-safe if you plan on cooking in the microwave). Stir together the apple sauce, raisins and/or cranberries, and brandy or rum, then spoon over the sweet potatoes. For the microwave: Cover with a vented piece of plastic wrap and cook in the microwave at high until the sweet potatoes are fully cooked, about 4 or 5 minutes. For the oven: Bake at 350F degrees for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are fully cooked.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria
Carolina Sauce Company

Lots of New Gift Boxes!

Just in time for Christmas and holiday gift-giving, the Carolina Sauce Company has added lots of new gift boxes featuring some of our best and most delicious products. From sweet NC marmalades to exotic chutneys, zesty mustards to fiery salsas, gourmet crab cake sauce and old-fashioned pepper jelly, we have a gift box for everyone who enjoys good food and eating well. Each Carolina Sauce Company gift box holds 2 full-size jars in a handsome white gift box decorated with the Carolina Sauce logo, and we can gift-wrap them for you for a small fee. Here's a list of the new gift boxes with a link to each product page for your convenience:

*Pepper Jelly Gift Boxes: You select from Mild and Hot, Red and Green pepper jellies made in the North Carolina Mountains. Our pepper jelly gift boxes are currently on sale, too!

*Ass Kickin' Mustard Gift Box

*Bubba's Hot Sauce Gift Box

*Crab Cake Sauce Gift Box

*Marmalade & Chutney Gift Boxes featuring Mrs. Picky Fanicky's award-winning marmalades and NC chutney, you choose which flavors you want, and you can "mix & match" too.

*Peach & Vidalia Onion Salsa Gift Box

*Red's Sweet Salsa Gift Box

*Scorned Woman Mustard Gift Box

*Scorned Woman Salsa Gift Box

*Thomas Gourmet Chutney Gift Boxes: You select which chutney flavor or flavors you'd like, and you can choose from Apple, Mango, Peach and Green Tomato

*White Wine Dijon Mustard Gift Box

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Zesty Garlic Greens & Beans with Bacon

Here's a robust, spicy way to enjoy your winter greens. Use the microwave to partially cook the greens, saving on total cooking time. This recipe serves 4.

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs fresh greens (spinach, kale, chard, collards, turnip greens or mustard greens), washed, trimmed & cut into strips about an inch wide
1/4 cup water
3 strips bacon
3 garlic cloves, peeled & chopped
1 15oz can cannellini (white beans) OR black-eyed peas, drained & rinsed
1/3 cup oil-packed sundried tomatoes, julienned
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed OR 1 Tbs fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped
1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes
Salt to taste
Several dashes of hot sauce, such as Blues Carolina Pepper Sauce or Louisiana Swamp Scum Hot Sauce or your favorite vinegar hot sauce

Place the greens and 1/4 cup water in a 2-quart microwaveable casserole dish and cover with lid or vented plastic wrap (i.e., pull back 1 corner of the plastic wrap to create a vent). Microwave on high for about 3 to 5 minutes or until greens start to soften (time will vary depending on the type of greens). Drain well & set aside.

In a large skillet cook the bacon until crisp; remove bacon onto a plate covered with paper towels to soak excess grease and allow to cool to the touch, then crumble the bacon into coarse pieces and set aside. Reserve enough of the bacon grease in the hot skillet for sauteeing, add the garlic and sautee until light golden (be careful not to brown the garlic or it will become bitter). Add the greens and sautee for a couple of minutes while stirring. Add the beans, sundried tomatoes, chicken broth, rosemary, red pepper and salt, stir to combine. Cover and cook on medium-high heat for several minutes, stirring occasionally, until greens are tender. Uncover, add crumbled bacon and stir well to combine. Serve with a few dashes of hot sauce to taste.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria