Lessons Learned at Year's End

After a lengthy (for me, at least) "silence", I'm happy to report that I'm once again among the eating, if not yet zestfully so. This month kept all of us at Carolina Sauce Company busier than ever, working long hours to fulfill Christmas and holiday orders, an unforeseen sudden spike in demand for Castle Sauce (an old-fashioned steak sauce that is oh so very tasty), and as many Operation Sauce Drop gift boxes for deployed troops as we could afford to buy and ship. And of course there also was all the year-end administrative work that had to be done before we could close for the holidays on the 24th. As a result, I didn't get a chance to write very much this month.

Of course, I had great plans for daily posts during my vacation beginning on the 24th, and I packed up lots of work to tackle from our trailer in the northern NC woods, along with plenty of warm clothes for running miles of previously unexplored roads out here, and a myriad other good intentions for a productive vacation..... And then the dreaded stomach virus struck. Thankfully, it waited until a couple of days after Christmas, but it knocked me out of commission for a few days and my tummy still isn't quite right.

Although this has not been the working (and running) vacation that I had planned, it actually has turned out to be exactly the type of vacation I needed -- well, I didn't need another bout of norovirus, but it taught me two valuable lessons:

First, sometimes a vacation really needs to be just that, a true break from everyday responsibilities including work, even when you love what you do. This is especially true during the holidays, which are best spent (IMHO) with loved ones and good friends, enjoying the season and each other's company. It's also true when your body says ENOUGH!! GET SOME REST!!

Second, I've learned that there is, after all, a purpose for bland, boring, un-zesty food: To help a tender tummy recover after a gut-wrenching virus wreaks havoc with one's digestive system. Yes, I've been living without hot sauce, salsa or spicy seasonings for several days now, much to my palate's dismay. The exception has been ginger, which has soothed my sour stomach as I slowly re-introduce solids back into my diet. As any fan of fiery foods and robust flavors can tell you, it's tough having to eat boring foods and I'm looking forward to being able to partake of zestier fare as soon as I can handle it!

So although my vacation hasn't been nearly as productive or active as I had hoped, it has been restful (for the most part) and restorative on many levels. And I still have a few days left out here to relax with friends and family, run a few new trails, and resume brainstorming on new ideas for the upcoming new year at Carolina Sauce, including potential new products for 2009. So stay tuned, dear readers, and best wishes for a safe and Happy New Year full of delicious good food!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

PS: The Carolina Sauce Company is currently closed for the holidays and will re-open on Tuesday, January 6th. While we are closed, you can still place orders online at the Carolina Sauce Company online store, and orders will ship out after we re-open on January 6th.