Cyber Monday Sale!

Looking to save money on delicious BBQ sauce, mouthwatering steak sauce, zesty salsa & condiments, flavorful rubs & seasonings, and fiery hot sauce? Take advantage of our special Cyber Monday Sale prices on November 30th! Simply look for the red sale prices at the Carolina Sauce Company online store, or look for the words "On Sale", when you click on a blue product category tab (found on the left when you're on any page at the online store). You can also search the Carolina Sauce Company store for the words "on sale" and that will show you a list of all the products currently on sale. We also have delicious themed gift sets and gift boxes to fit any budget and and please any palate, from mild to wild. But don't delay, as these special sale prices are good only on Cyber Monday and while supplies last!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Final Day of Carolina Sauce Coupon Sale!

Save 10% off hot sauce, BBQ sauce, zesty condiments, delectable sweets and other gourmet treats when you shop today at the Carolina Sauce Company online store! Simply order $40 or more in products and use coupon code Blog1209 to get 10% off your product total, including already-discounted sale items. You'll see the place to enter the coupon code when you get to the online billing screen. Don't delay - This special coupon expires today at midnight!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

All Susie's Hot Sauces In Stock!

If you're a fan of Susie's Hot Sauces from Antigua, you'll be glad to know that all 5 flavors of Susie's Hot Sauce are finally back in stock at the Carolina Sauce Company! Made using traditional West Indian recipes and authentic island ingredients, Susie's Hot Sauces are hard to find here in the US and are eagerly sought by folks who had the pleasure of tasting them while visiting Antigua or taking a Caribbean cruise. Because Susie makes her tasty sauces in small batches using only the freshest all-natural tropical ingredients, shortages happen from time to time -- especially with her fruit-packed Susie's Pineapple Pleasure and Susie's Papaya Delight. But just in time for the holidays, we now have fresh inventory of both of those sweet & spicy hot sauces, as well as the mustardy-fiery Susie's Original Hot Sauce, the exotically flavorful & spicy Susie's Calypso Sauce, and the tart-tangy & peppery Susie's Tamarind Tango. Don't delay and order now while we have them, because once we run out, there's no telling when we'll be able to get more!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Saucy Black Friday (& Saturday & Sunday) Coupon Sale!

Get 10% off everything, even sale items, at the Carolina Sauce Company online store today, tomorrow and Sunday! Simply order $40 or more in products, and enter the coupon code "BLOG1209" (without the quotation marks), and we'll give you 10% off the product total through Sunday, November 29th. Enter the coupon in the "coupon code" section of the billing page when you order online. To help you get started, check out our latest Carolina Sauce Company Newsletter where you'll find brand-new gift boxes, zesty new products, and delicious gift ideas for your favorite foodie or chilehead!

FYI, the Carolina Sauce Company warehouse will re-open and resume shipping orders on Monday November 30th. Orders will ship out on a first-come, first-served basis, so don't delay and get your order in today, and take advantage of our Black Friday sale!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Spicy Hot Maple Syrup

Call me crazy, but sometimes I like to add a little bit of fire to my breakfast. If you're like me, and you love maple syrup, here's a great recipe to help you spice up your pancakes, waffles, French toast, hot cereal, etc. Just make sure you use REAL maple syrup and not "pancake syrup" that's merely maple-flavored.

Ingredients
1 cup real maple syrup (NOT maple-flavored pancake syrup)
1/3 cup butter
1/4 tsp (or to taste) red pepper flakes

Place ingredients in a saucepan or microwave-safe bowl, heat to melt the butter, stirring occasionally. Once butter is melted and everything is combined, remove from heat and serve over pancakes, etc.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

PS: If you're looking for a gourmet grilling sauce that features real maple syrup and has a good fiery kick, I highly recommend Bear-Man Sap-Happy Golden Bear Maple Sauce from upstate New York!

Carolina Sauce Thanksgiving Schedule

The Carolina Sauce Company is closing at 12 noon EST on Wednesday, November 25th, and will remain closed through Sunday, November 29th, for the Thanksgiving holiday. You can still place orders online while we are closed, and orders received while we are closed will begin shipping when we re-open on Monday, November 30th, on a first-come, first-served basis. You can also leave us email and voicemail while we are closed, and we will reply as soon as we can once we re-open on Monday. Best wishes to all for a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Wood Options for Smoking a Turkey

If you're planning on smoking a turkey for Thanksgiving, the wood you choose can make a difference in the flavor of your bird. Here are some things to keep in mind when selecting the type of wood to use in your smoker when smoking a turkey:

*Fruit woods like Apple, Cherry, Pear: I personally really like the subtly sweet, fruity flavor that wood from a fruit tree will impart to poultry. The delicate fruit flavor can be hard to discern if smoking beef or pork, but with turkey or chicken these milder woods will impart a lovely flavor without overpowering the milder meat.

*Mesquite: Although mesquite has become wildly popular, I'm not crazy about it for smoking turkey or other poultry because the smoke flavor can be overpowering and impart harsh, bitter notes. Leave the mesquite for the grill rather than the smoker, and it's better for red meat.

*Pecan: Pecan is lovely in the smoker, and works well with poultry including turkey. It imparts warm, rich flavors that are complex and rich but complementary rather than overbearing. It's especially nice with turkey when you're also serving stuffing, sweet potatoes, and other autumn foods that may include nut flavors.

*Maple: This is another good choice for poultry because of its sweet, mild flavor notes, plus the fact that maple flavor is an autumn flavor that complements other foods on the menu like sweet potatoes and desserts

*Oak, Hickory: Although you can use these traditional smoking woods when you smoke turkey, I find that their more assertive, robust smokiness can be a bit much for poultry.

If you're smoking a turkey for Thanksgiving, feel free to leave a comment to let us know how it goes, what wood you use, and anything else you'd like to share!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria
Carolina Sauce Company

Three Festive Thanksgiving Beverages

Here are 3 tasty beverages to serve on Thanksgiving and during the holiday season. You can double these recipes as needed to make more servings.

Hot Spiced Cranberry Cider
Ingredients
1 16oz can jellied cranberry sauce
2 cups apple cider (unfiltered is best)
1/2 cup orange juice (I like it with pulp but you can use pulp-free)
1 stick of cinnamon
4 whole cloves

Mix all ingredients together in a saucepan and heat on the stove (you can also make this in a microwave-safe bowl). Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Hot Mulled Apple Cider
Ingredients
2 quarts apple cider
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp whole allspice
1 whole nutmeg
3 one-inch sticks of cinnamon
8 whole cloves

Place the whole spices in a small piece of cheesecloth and tie together to make a small bag. Combine the cider, sugar and salt in a saucepan and add the spice bag. Cover and bring to a simmer on the stove, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the spice bag and serve in mugs. Makes 10-12 servings.

Fizzy Cranberry Punch
Ingredients
2 cups cranberry juice or cranberry juice cocktail
1 cup orange juice (no pulp is best)
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 Tbs sugar
2 cups sparkling water, chilled

Combine the first 5 ingredients and chill until ready to serve. When ready to serve, transfer to punch bowl and add the sparkling water, gently stirring to combine. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria
Carolina Sauce Company

Turkey Breast with Spicy Cranberry Chutney

Only feeding 2 for Thanksgiving but want to enjoy turkey and cranberry? No worries, here's a zesty recipe for 2, and you can double it if you need to feed 4!

Ingredients
8 oz turkey breast, sliced into 4 slices, OR 4 2oz turkey breast slices
1 Tbs olive oil OR butter OR bacon grease, for cooking the turkey
1/2 cup fresh or thawed cranberries
1/2 cup chopped, peeled apple (any variety except Red Delicious)
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tbs dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
1 Tbs brown sugar
1 tsp Toad Sweat Cranberry Dessert Hot Sauce
1 tsp crystallized ginger, coarsely chopped

Make the chutney by stirring together in a small heavy saucepan all ingredients EXCEPT the turkey and butter, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5 to 10 minutes until thickened to desired consistency, stirring occasionally.

While the chutney is cooking, melt the butter or bacon grease (or heat the olive oil) in a skillet. Rinse and pat dry the turkey breast slices. Cook the turkey slices in the hot fat until no longer pink and the turkey is tender, about 5 minutes total, turning once.

Place 2 slices of cooked turkey on each plate and spoon some of the warm chutney over the slices. Place the remaining chutney in a bowl to pass at the table.

Note: No time to make your own chutney? Simply use your microwave to warm some North Carolina Chutney or Apple Chutney in a microwaveable dish, stirring in some crushed red pepper flakes if you want to add fiery heat, and serve as above!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

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

Wahoo Willie's Jamaican Wing Sauce is No More

Today we bid farewell to an award-winning, unique hot wing sauce, Wahoo Willie's Jamaican Wing Sauce. Born in the now-defunct Wahoo Willie's seafood restaurant in Wrightsville Beach, NC, this unusual wing sauce combined traditional buttery-tangy Buffalo wing sauce with fiery, exotically spiced Jamaican jerk sauce for an intensely flavorful and yet smooth and versatile wing sauce. In addition to being a bold and exciting alternative to everyday Buffalo wing sauce, Wahoo Willie's Jamaican Wing Sauce was also quite good as a cooking sauce for chicken, pork, beef and even venison, for oven-roasting, grilling, broiling and in the crock pot. This delicious wing sauce was also featured in our popular Hot Wings Gift Set. When we learned that the manufacturer was closing his restaurant and no longer going to make this sauce, we bought the last of his stock -- and sadly, we are now sold out, which means that Wahoo Willie's Jamaican Wing Sauce is gone for good. We will definitely miss it, as will many fans in NC and around the country.

Although we don't have any other Jamaican-inspired hot wing sauce here at the Carolina Sauce Company, we have updated our Hot Wings Gift Set to replace Wahoo Willie's with another tasty, unique and versatile wing sauce (which also happens to be from a restaurant): Tony's Birdland Hot Wing Sauce. This is a tangy-sweet & spicy-hot wing sauce from the renowned Tony's Birdland restaurant in Rochester, NY, and it's for much more than chicken wings: Use it on Chinese food and stir fry dishes instead of sweet & sour sauce or duck sauce, or as a glaze for grilled chicken, ribs or shrimp, just to suggest a few non-wing uses. Tony's Birdland Wing Sauce is also quite good as a dipping sauce for popcorn shrimp, chicken nuggets, fish sticks and jalapeno poppers. Order a bottle now while it's on sale, or better yet order our Hot Wings Gift Set to try a variety of different wing sauces (including Tony's Birdland) and Bleu Cheese dipping sauce, all at a discounted price.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Thank You to Our Veterans!

Today is Veterans Day, and I'd like to extend a heart-felt THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH to all our veterans who have served our country. Your service and sacrifices are deeply appreciated, and never forgotten. Thank you for all you have done to keep our country safe and free. Heroes like you are an inspiration to those of us back home. So thank you for your service!

Veterans Day dates back to 1919, when President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day, the date on which an armistice was signed to end the fighting in World War I. The official end to the war came later, on June 28, 1919, with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, but because the fighting had ceased on November 11th that date became generally accepted as the end to the war. Here is an excellent source for information on the history of Veterans Day in the US. And if you know anyone who has served in our military, or happen to meet a veteran today, please take a moment to thank them for serving. You just might make their day!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria
Carolina Sauce Company

Sweet & Spicy Sweet Potato Casserole

Tired of that old, boring sweet potato casserole with marshmallows? Ready for a grown-up sweet potato casserole with a peppery kick and a delicious crunchy nut topping? Then this is the Thanksgiving recipe for you! This recipe serves 6, and it freezes well, too.

Ingredients
3 cups cooked, peeled & mashed sweet potatoes
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbs lightly salted butter
1/2 cup evaporated skim (fat-free) milk
1 tsp pepper sherry, such as Busha Browne's Spicy Hot Pepper Sherry
2 beaten eggs, OR the equivalent in egg substitute such as Egg Beaters brand

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Mix together all of the above and pour into a greased casserole dish. Prepare the the topping, below:

Topping Ingredients:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup Tbs lightly salted butter, softened
1/2 cup oats
1 cup chopped pecans

Mix together the topping ingredients until crumbly, and sprinkle evenly over the unbaked sweet potato casserole. Bake at 350F degrees for 35 minutes or until golden brown.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Tortuga Caribbean Sauces Gift Packs

Give a taste of the Caribbean this holiday season, with Tortuga Caribbean Sauces Gift Packs from the Carolina Sauce Company! If you enjoy hot sauce and you've taken a Caribbean cruise or visited the islands, you're probably familiar with the delicious hot sauces and spicy condiments from the Tortuga Rum Company. These authentic tropical sauces from Jamaica, Barbados and other Caribbean islands are virtually impossible to find here in the US, so we're thrilled to be able to offer them at the Carolina Sauce online store. In addition to carrying the individual sauces, we now have two different gift packs of Tortuga sauces, each with three flavorful sauces ranging from zesty to spicy-hot.

The Sweet & Savory Caribbean Gift Box is perfect for folks who like to cook and who enjoy naturally sweet tropical fruit flavors and fiery Caribbean peppers. This gift box has 1 bottle each of Tortuga Spicy Seafood Grill Sauce for marinating, cooking and grilling fish and seafood; Tortuga Mango & Ginger Stir-Fry Sauce for cooking poultry, seafood and veggies (and it's great for dressing up Chinese takeout!); and Tortuga Sweet Heat Caribbean Pepper Sauce, a feisty all-purpose spicy-sweet condiment for all sorts of savory dishes. For folks who like things more on the savory-hot side, we have the Tortuga Savory Caribbean Sauces Gift Box, featuring a bottle each of Tortuga Caribbean Steak Sauce, a traditional steak sauce with a dash of island flavor that's great for marinating, grilling, broiling and seasoning steak and other meats; Tortuga Jamaican Jerk Sauce for making authentic Jamaican jerk chicken, beef, pork, fish and veggies; and Tortuga Caribbean Hell-Fire Sauce, a blazing scotch bonnet pepper hot sauce for adding Caribbean heat to all sorts of dishes. Each Gift Pack comes with tasty Caribbean recipes that are easy to make at home, and at only $9.99 each, these gift packs make affordable and thoughtful gourmet gifts for Christmas and other special occasions.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Spicy Cranberry-Apple Casserole

This easy recipe showcases the flavors of Fall, and is a great Thanksgiving recipe if you enjoy zesty foods.

Ingredients
3 cups chopped, unpeeled apples (almost any variety works, and a combination of Granny Smith, Rome & McIntosh works well - don't use Red Delicious)
2 cups whole fresh cranberries (you can use frozen whole cranberries but defrost first)
1 1/2 cups sugar
Toad Sweat Cranberry Dessert Hot Sauce
1 1/2 cups regular (not instant) oatmeal
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Mix together the apples, cranberries, regular sugar and several dashes of Toad Sweat Cranberry Dessert Hot Sauce in a casserole dish, and set aside. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl until well-mixed, then spread this topping over the apple-cranberry mixture. Bake at 350F degrees for about 1 hour or until the topping is golden brown.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Best-Selling Hot Sauce, BBQ Sauce, Snacks & Condiments for October

The Top Ten Best Seller Lists for each product category at the Carolina Sauce Company have been updated for October 2009, and we had some surprise finishes, as usual. I've highlighted some notable best-sellers below, and also provided quick links for each category list:

*Best-Selling Hot Sauces: One of our "Sauce for a Cause" products, African Rhino Peri Peri Hot Sauce, finished in 7th place last month. A portion of the proceeds from each sale goes to help preserve the African Rhino. Also finishing strong is the ever-popular Capsicana Zing Gourmet Sauce, a versatile sweet & spicy table sauce that comes with free recipes and which took 9th place on our best-seller list.

*Best-Selling BBQ Sauces: The award-winning tomato-based Outta The Park BBQ Sauce was the second-best-selling barbecue sauce for October (and it's on sale!), and our very own Hot Eastern NC BBQ Sauce was 6th (and your purchase of our Eastern NC BBC Sauce helps to support Operation Sauce Drop, our non-profit program that sends free sauce to deployed troops!)

*Best-Selling Steak Sauce & Pasta Sauce: A recent newcomer, the subtly sweet & peppery Samson's Town & Country Sauce from North Carolina (only $3.99!) moved up to #2 on this best-seller list, while the bold and exotic Tortuga Caribbean Steak Sauce (it's on sale for only $3.35!) finished third

*Best-Selling Marinades & Dressings: Another new product, Nando's Hot Peri Peri Marinade from South Africa, finished a very impressive third last month, and the fruity-spicy Melinda's Mango Coconut Pepper Sauce remained on the best-seller list, this time in 10th place -- and it's on sale!

*Best-Selling Dry Rubs & Seasonings: The hard-to-find Nando's Lemon & Herb Peri Peri Grind from South Africa was our 3rd best-selling seasoning last month, and the sweet & spicy, subtly citrusy Southern Twang Dry Rub from North Carolina finished close behind in 4th place -- and it comes with free recipes!

*Best-Selling Gift Sets: Two frighteningly hot gift sets proved popular most likely because of Halloween, with our dangerously fiery Ultra-Hot Hot Sauce Gift Set being the top selling gift set and the aptly named Scary Sauces Gift Set (just take a look at the sauces in this gift set!) finished 4th in October

*Best-Selling North Carolina Products: The #1 best-selling NC product last month was Castle Sauce from Greensboro, a beloved mustard-tomato steak sauce that's also terrific on burgers, onion rings & more -- and our very own mild Eastern NC BBQ Sauce came in 9th - and we donate $1 to Operation Sauce Drop for every jar sold!

*Best-Selling Wing Sauces: One of our newest wing sauces, Melinda's All-Natural Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce, debuted at #5, and Rochester NY's sweet-tangy Tony's Birdland Mild Wing Sauce finished in 8th place -- and both are on sale!

*Best-Selling Jerk & Curry Products: Two varieties of the versatile & flavor-packed Pluto's Caribbean Bliss Seasonings, the Mild and the Salt-Free Seasoning, took 6th & 9th place honors respectively

*Best-Selling Snacks & Sweets: Our crunchy, spicy Hot Dill Pickle Chips finished an impressive 4th last month (and a portion of each sale goes to support Operation Sauce Drop), and the addictively delicious Lilly's Gourmet Maple Butter took 7th place (and it's on sale!)

*Best-Selling Mustards & Ketchups: The smoky, spicy-hot and all-natural Melinda's Chipotle Ketchup came in 6th in October (and it's on sale!), and North Carolina's own Durn Good Hot 'n Spicy Mustard completed the list at 10th

*Best-Selling Salsa & Relish: Another North Carolina treat, the fiery & flavorful Just My Taste Jalapeno Dip, had a strong finish and took 4th place (and it comes with lots of recipes, AND it's on sale!), while our own mild but zesty Sweet Pepper Relish came in 7th (and a portion of the proceeds goes to support Operation Sauce Drop)

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Walkerswood One Stop Savory Sauce

After a long absence, Walkerswood Zesty Caribbean One Stop Savory Sauce is finally back in stock, and available online from the Carolina Sauce Company! Similar to the still-unavailable Walkerswood Hot & Spicy Jamaican Jerk Sauce but with a richer, fruitier flavor, Walkerswood One Stop Savory Sauce is an all-purpose tropical table sauce that blends naturally sweet bananas, mangoes and raisins with tart tamarind, fiery Caribbean hot peppers, and island herbs and spices. The delicious result is a palate-pleasing, moderately spicy sweet-tangy sauce that complements poultry and seafood, cheese and egg dishes, and all sorts of grilled food. You can also add some Walkerswood One Stop Savory Sauce to soups, stews and casseroles if you want to add a touch of exotic, sunny flavor. Notoriously hard to find outside of Jamaica, we're thrilled to be able to offer this flavorful condiment just in time for holiday cooking and Christmas gift shopping. We don't know how long we'll be able to get it, and whether it might disappear from the market again, so now is the time to order some Walkerswood One Stop Savory Sauce while it's available!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Mrs. Picky Fanicky's Peach Cocktail MmmMarmalade

If you love sweet peaches, you must try Mrs. Picky Fanicky's latest creation, Peach Cocktail MmmMarmalade. Sublimely sweet, intensely peachy, delightfully chunky, and with a subtle citrusy twist, this peach marmalade is unlike -- and far more delicious than -- any you'll buy from a grocery store. Made the old-fashioned way with tree-ripened juicy peaches, Mrs. Picky Fanicky adds a little sweet pineapple, orange juice and cherries for depth of flavor and richness. Peach Cocktail MmmMarmalade is irresistible straight from the jar, but it's also fantastic with hot biscuits, pancakes, waffles, toast, croissants, stirred into hot oatmeal, poured over ice cream, served with cream cheese and crackers, and even as a fruity-sweet condiment for pork, chicken, turkey, broiled fish, and other savory dishes. Kids love it with chicken nuggets and fish sticks, too! Spoon it over pound cake or yellow cake frosted with cream cheese frosting or buttercream frosting for a beautiful as well as tasty dessert. Mrs. Picky Fanicky's Peach Cocktail MmmMarmalade is made with natural ingredients, has no sodium or artificial preservatives, and comes with recipe ideas on a pretty card. And it's on sale at the Carolina Sauce Company online store!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Operation Sauce Drop Ships 800th Gift Box!

Earlier this week, Operation Sauce Drop shipped its 800th free gift box of hot sauce and BBQ sauce to US troops serving overseas, thanks to a generous repeat donor who recently made a $1,000 donation (which the Carolina Sauce Company has matched), and the generosity of over 150 other donors, some of whom are also repeat donors.

Since its inception over 2 years ago, Operation Sauce Drop has sent 814 free gift boxes of sauce to troops stationed in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Far East, Europe and other APO/FPO locations. The Carolina Sauce Company operates this nonprofit program, donating the time and labor needed to fulfill gift box requests, paying for all incidental expenses associated with the program, and donating a portion of the proceeds from the sale of several Carolina Sauce brand products through the "Shop to Support Operation Sauce Drop" program. The troops and their families greatly appreciate receiving a little "taste of home," as is evident from their thank-you notes and photos such as this one and many more posted on the Operation Sauce Drop Feedback & Photos page.

Because gift box requests greatly outpaced incoming donations last winter and into the spring, a lengthy waiting list developed earlier this year. But thanks to the continued support of donors both large and small, the Carolina Sauce Company is working its way through this waiting list and will soon finish fulfilling the pending gift box requests. Once the last pending request has been fulfilled, we will resume accepting requests for free gift boxes of sauce for our deployed military.

The average cost to purchase and ship a free gift box of sauce to a serviceperson serving overseas is about $20. You can donate to Operation Sauce Drop in any amount, and 100% of your donation will be used ONLY to purchase and ship a gift box (as mentioned above, Carolina Sauce covers all incidental expenses and overhead, so your entire donation goes towards the cost of the gift box and shipping). You can also shop to support Operation Sauce Drop by purchasing select sauces and other zesty products, and either a portion or the entire purchase price is donated directly to Operation Sauce Drop.

It would be great if we could fulfill new gift box requests from the troops in time for the holidays, so please consider a donation in any amount, or shop to support Operation Sauce Drop. The troops will thank you for your generosity!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

October's Top 10 Best-Selling Sauces & Seasonings

Here are the top 10 best-selling sauces and seasonings across all categories at the Carolina Sauce Company for October - and any of these would make great Christmas gifts for folks who enjoy zesty foods!

1. Walkerswood Traditional Jamaican Jerk Seasoning was our best-selling product last month, and this authentic jerk paste (wet rub) from Jamaica is a favorite among people who love real jerk flavor and fire

2. Castle Sauce is a regular on our list of best-selling products, and the whole family is sure to enjoy this flavorful classic steak & burger sauce from Greensboro NC

3. Busha Browne's Pukka Sauce also regularly finishes in the top 10, and this Jamaican table sauce delivers food-friendly, versatile flavor (it's not a jerk sauce!) and fiery heat

4. Matouk's West Indian Hot Sauce comes to us from Trinidad & Tobago and is made with sweet papaya and spicy scotch bonnet peppers for a deliciously rich, medium-hot tropical flavor

5. Wells Hog Heaven BBQ Sauce is an authentic eastern NC vinegar-based barbecue sauce that's ideal for Carolina style pulled pork BBQ

6. Buderim Ginger Bears are grown-up gummy bear candies with a gingery "bite," and they're made in Australia using real ginger

7. Outta The Park BBQ Sauce is an award-winning gourmet tomato BBQ sauce that starts off a little sweet and finishes with a zesty ginger-pepper kick, and has quickly become one of our best-selling products!

8. Georgia Peach & Vidalia Onion Hot Sauce features ripe peaches and sweet-savory vidalia onions with just a touch of peppery heat, for a deliciously flavorful and mildly spicy table sauce

9. Scorned Woman Hot Sauce: This classic vinegar-based hot sauce is made with several different peppers for seriously hot heat

10. Matouk's Hot Pepper Sauce is a thick and fiery Caribbean hot sauce with a savory mustard-vinegar base and plenty of aged pickled scotch bonnet peppers

We'll soon update the best-seller lists for each product category, so stay tuned to this blog for more late-breaking spicy news!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Tortuga Sweet Heat Pepper Sauce

The sunny island of Barbados sends us Tortuga Sweet Heat Caribbean Pepper Sauce, a pleasantly spicy, sweet-tangy gem of a hot sauce. While this tasty hot sauce is made with a tradtional mustard base and Caribbean Scotch Bonnet peppers, the addition of tropical Carambola (star fruit) provides a uniquely delicious fruity twist. The texture is thick and rich, the color is a beautiful deep orange-red, and the heat level is on the medium side of hot, all of which makes Tortuga Sweet Heat Pepper Sauce a very approachable and enjoyable table sauce and condiment. I like it on burgers, grilled meats and seafood, and it's also terrific on hot dogs and grilled sausages. You can also add Tortuga Sweet Heat Caribbean Pepper Sauce to recipes like meat loaf, raw ground meat for burgers, and gravies for roast chicken or turkey. And of course, it's fabulous on Caribbean fare. If you want to try a fruit hot sauce that's out of the ordinary and won't scorch off your taste buds, get some Tortuga Sweet Heat Caribbean Pepper Sauce while it's on sale at the Carolina Sauce Company.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria