Last Chance to Save 10% off EVERYTHING at Carolina Sauce!

The end is here: Of the year, the decade, and the Carolina Sauce Company coupon clearance sale!

Today is your LAST CHANCE to save 10% on all fiery hot sauces, tangy barbecue sauce, zesty condiments, spicy salsas, themed gift sets and gift boxes, delicious North Carolina products, and everything else currently in stock at the Carolina Sauce Company. Simply enter the coupon code End2009 when you order online. There's no minimum order size, and yes, the coupon applies to already-discounted sale prices, too! Here's all you need to know:

(1) Orders will ship on a first-come, first-served basis beginning on Thursday, January 7th when our warehouse re-opens;

(2) Don't forget to enter the coupon code End2009 in the "coupon" field on the billing screen to get the 10% discount off the product total; and

(3) This coupon is good through midnight EST on December 31, 2009 (tonight), when it automatically expires.

That's it! If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at sales"AT"carolinasauce"DOT"com, as I'll be checking email from time to time today, or send a Tweet to SaucyGlo on Twitter.

Have a safe and saucy New Year!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Carolina Sauce Year-End Coupon Sale!

Save 10% on all hot sauce, barbecue sauce, zesty condiments, themed gift sets and gift boxes, hard-to-find North Carolina products and everything else currently in stock at the Carolina Sauce Company during our year-end inventory clearance sale! Simply enter the coupon code End2009 when you order online, no minimum order size, and yes, the coupon applies to already-discounted sale prices, too! Just three things to remember:

(1) Orders will ship on a first-come, first served basis beginning on Thursday, January 7th when our warehouse re-opens;

(2) Enter the coupon code End2009 in the "coupon" field on the billing screen to get the 10% discount off the product total; and

(3) This coupon is good through midnight EST on December 31, 2009, when it automatically expires.

That's it! If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at sales"AT"carolinasauce"DOT"com, as I'll be checking email from time to time while out of town, or send a Tweet to SaucyGlo on Twitter.

Best wishes to all for the New Year!
Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Carolina Sauce Co. Closed Until January 7th

The Carolina Sauce Company is closed from noon on Wednesday, December 23rd through Wednesday, January 6th, to give our hard-working employees some time off with their families, and to get ready for a new year of zesty new products and features. We will re-open for business on Thursday, January 7th. You can still place orders at the Carolina Sauce online store while we are closed, but they will be shipped after we re-open on a first-come first-served basis. If you email or call us while we're closed, please understand that we won't be able to reply until after January 6th. Thank you for your understanding, and for your business. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and best wishes for the Holidays to all!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Spirited Mint Coffee

Here's a festive after-dinner or special-occasion coffee drink that's easy to make, and the recipe below for 2 servings readily doubles (or triples, etc). For a special holiday touch, garnish each coffee cup or glass with a small candy cane or peppermint stick.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee, regular or decaf
3 Tbs Kahlua or other coffee liqueur
3 Tbs Peppermint Schnapps or Creme de Menthe liqueur
Whipped cream for topping (use real whipped cream if possible)
Cocoa powder for dusting

Using 2 coffee cups or glasses, place half of each liqueur in each cup or glass (1 1/2 Tbs of Kahlua and 1 1/2 Tbs mint liqueur per glass/cup) and stir to combine. Pour half of the coffee into each glass or cup and stir, and top each with some whipped cream and a dusting of chocolate powder. Enjoy hot.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria
Carolina Sauce Company

Six Last-Minute Christmas Gifts

You won't have to fight the store crowds or hunt for a rare parking space at the mall with any of these great last-minute Christmas gift ideas - just shop from the comfort of your office or home, and your gift can still arrive in time for Christmas! Here are six popular last-minute gift ideas that can fit any budget and please the pickiest person:

1. Send an e-Gift Certificate from the Carolina Sauce Company and the recipient can choose from over 300 delicious sauces, seasonings, condiments and snacks from all over the world -- and these gift certificates never expire!

2. Send bountiful Gift Baskets full of goodies for eating or pampering

3. Beautiful Florist Arranged Flowers make a stunning Holiday decoration for any home or office

4. Send mouthwatering grass-fed gourmet Beef from Montana

5. Is a seafood lover on your gift list? Send Sensational Seafood from Lobster Gram, America's #1 Lobster Delivery Company since 1987! 1,000,000+ DELIVERED!

6. For the wine lover, shop now and save on wine accessories and wine cellars

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

PS: Here's a bonus last-minute gift idea: You can still shop online at the Carolina Sauce Company store and have your gift delivered in time for Christmas if you select 2nd Day Air or Next Day Air shipping options!

Acorn Squash with Apple Filling

Acorn squash is nutritious and delicious, and with this sweet apple filling even the pickiest kid will happily eat this veggie dish! This recipe serves 4.

Ingredients
2 acorn squash
1 1/3 cup natural apple sauce (I recommend Mullen's Apple Sauce)
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup raisins (you can substitute dried cranberries or dried cherries, or a combo)
1 Tbs melted butter
1/3 cup walnut or pecan pieces

Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Use a sharp knife to cut squash in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Rinse the inside with water, then place cut side down on a non-stick baking sheet. Bake at 400F degrees for about half an hour. While the squash is cooking, make the filling by combining the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Carefully remove pan from oven and turn over the squash so they are cut-side up. Spoon equal amounts of the filling into each squash half and return the pan to the oven. Bake for another 20 to 25 minutes or until the squash is soft.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Gourmet Gift Ideas

Here are some tasty gourmet gift ideas for that special someone who loves good food:

*Reward clients and coworkers with the gift of Good Taste... Lobster Gram Gift Certificates!

*Send a sampling of NC barbecue sauces from the Carolina Sauce Company, featuring Eastern vinegar sauces, Piedmont vinegar-tomato sauces and thick Western sauces. The Mild NC BBQ Sauce Gift Set is ideal for most folks, and for people who enjoy hot & spicy foods there's the Hot NC BBQ Sauce Gift Set. Each gift set has 6 full-size bottles of authentic North Carolina barbeque sauce for only $29.99!

*Need a gift for a steak lover? Get gourmet beef sent right to their door!

*Is a seafood lover on your gift list? Send Sensational Seafood from Lobster Gram, America's #1 Lobster Delivery Company since 1987! 1,000,000+ DELIVERED!

*For wholesome, old-fashioned goodness and sublimely delicious flavor, give a gift box of the award-winning marmalades & chutneys from Mrs. Picky Fanicky, only $12.99

*An elegant and affordable gift is the White Wine Dijon Mustard Gift Box from upstate New York, for only $11.99

*Not sure what to get for a hard-to-please oenophile? Don't risk getting a bottle of wine they won't like -- instead, give them something they're sure to use and love when you shop now and save on wine accessories and wine cellars

*For the person who loves to cook, you can't go wrong with the NC Gourmet Gift Set, featuring a wide assortment of sauces and seasonings including gourmet pasta sauce, olive oil vinaigrette, crab cake sauce, steak sauce and more -- a total of 8 high-quality gourmet products for only $44.00!

*Shopping for a coffee lover? Send Gevalia Premium Coffee today!

*Still not sure? Browse our extensive selection of Gift Sets and Gift Boxes of gourmet sauces and seasonings, with themed collections, flavors ranging from mild to wide, and a gift for every budget!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Zesty Jalapeno-Jack Mini Tarts

Here is a deliciously zesty and festive party appetizer that's sure to please fans of spicy foods - but don't worry, it won't burn out more sensitive palates with its medium heat. This recipe comes from the creator of Just My Taste Jalapeno Sauce & Dip, one of my favorite spicy products for recipes. Just My Taste is a jalapeno lover's dream, as it's chock-full of the fiery green chili pepper. You can get Just My Taste Jalapeno Sauce from the Carolina Sauce Company online store, and it comes with several pages of FREE recipes, PLUS it's on sale! This recipe makes 24 mini-tarts, so you probably want to use two 12-tart pans (or one 24-tart pan, or make it in two batches using a single 12-tart pan).

Ingredients
1 8oz package of shredded Monterey Jack cheese
6 eggs, beaten (or the equivalent in egg substitute like Egg Beaters brand)
1 jar (16oz) Just My Taste jalapeno sauce & dip
1 Tbs dried parsley

Preheat oven to 425F. Grease your mini-tart pan(s). Place a teaspoon of Just My Taste jalapeno sauce in each tart cup and cover with cheese. Fill each tart cup almost to the top with beaten egg, sprinkle tops with parsley. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until firm and lightly browned. Cool two minutes before removing tarts from pan.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

J.T. Pappy's Flamin' Gator Medium BBQ Sauce in Stock Again!

Today we received a pleasant surprise: J.T. Pappy's Flamin' Gator Medium BBQ Sauce arrived in our warehouse, after a long absence dating back to before Thanksgiving. I'm pleased to announce that you can once again order this spicy, mustard-based barbecue sauce from the Carolina Sauce Company! Made in Florida with all-natural ingredients, JT Pappy's Flamin' Gator sauce tastes great on anything you grill, including chicken, ribs, pork, burgers, shrimp and even veggies. You can also add it to ground beef when making meatloaf, hamburgers and other recipes. It's even great in deviled eggs or stirred into creamy potato salad! And at only $4.25, it's a bargain. Get it today while it's in stock -- and check out the other four tasty flavors of J.T. Pappy's Gator Sauce, also only $4.25 each!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Chicken in Pomegranate Teriyaki Sauce

Here is my version of a recipe created by the makers of Olio & Spices Sauces, using their exotic and mouthwatering Pomegranate Teriyaki Sauce, which is available online from the Carolina Sauce Company. This recipe is laid-back and forgiving in that the ingredient quantities are flexible, so season to taste and don't sweat the details, because the end result will always be delicious!

Ingredients
Boneless chicken thighs or breasts (or some of each)
Olio & Spices Pomegranate Teriyaki Sauce
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Herbes de Provence, or other savory herb seasoning blend such as Big Daddy's Superb Herb Seasoning
Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the chicken pieces in a bowl, sprinkle with herb blend on all sides, drizzle in a little olive oil and 2 Tablespoons of Pomegranate Teriyaki Sauce and rub everything into the chicken pieces, coating well (yes, this is hands-on!). At this point, you can place the bowl in the fridge to marinate for a few minutes to overnight as desired. When ready to cook, place the seasoned chicken pieces in a nonstick skillet and fry on medium-high heat, cooking each side for about 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add more Pomegranate Teriyaki Sauce to the skillet, cover and cook for another 2 or 3 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked. Serve over cooked white rice, pouring the juices from the pan over the served chicken.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

All Tortuga Sauces and Gift Packs are in Stock!

Tortuga Jamaican Jerk Sauce is finally available again at the Carolina Sauce Company online store! Made in Jamaica using traditional all-natural ingredients, Tortuga Jerk Sauce has an enticing, exotic flavor that is subtly sweet, infused with aromatic herbs and spices, and with a medium heat level from Caribbean hot peppers. Use it as a marinade and basting sauce for making authentic Jamaican jerked chicken, pork, beef and seafood -- in fact, the label on the bottle has a delicious and simple recipe to help you get started! Best of all, Tortuga Jamaican Jerk Sauce is currently on sale at the Carolina Sauce Company for only $3.35 a bottle.

Tortuga Jamaican Jerk Sauce is one of the tasty sauces featured in the new Tortuga Savory Caribbean Sauces Gift Pack. Also included are a bottle each of robust Tortuga Caribbean Steak Sauce and fiery Tortuga Caribbean Hell-Fire Sauce, and all 3 bottles are packaged in a stylish gift box that includes several recipes on the back. We also have a second Tortuga gift pack in stock, the Tortuga Sweet & Savory Caribbean Sauces Gift Pack, which makes an ideal present for folks who enjoy tropical fruit flavors and peppery heat. This gift pack includes a bottle each of savory Tortuga Spicy Seafood Grill Sauce for marinating and cooking fish and seafood, the zippy Tortuga Mango & Ginger Stir-Fry Sauce, and the fruity and fiery Tortuga Sweet Heat Caribbean Pepper Sauce, all packaged in an attractive gift box with several recipes on the box. This Christmas, give a taste of the islands by sending one or both of our Tortuga Caribbean Sauces Gift Boxes!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Tasty Kosher Gifts for Hanukkah

If you're looking for some delicious Kosher gifts for Hanukkah, here are some tasty suggestions available online from the Carolina Sauce Company:

*For the sophisticated palate and for anyone who prefers all-natural products, Olio & Spices Sauces from Israel make the perfect gift. There's the rich and bold Barbecue Fig Sauce for anything you grill, the versatile Red Wine Onion Sauce that's amazing on steak and other hearty fare, the exotically fruity Pomegranate Teriyaki Sauce for a unique twist on traditional teriyaki, the savory and flavorful Garlic Chili Sauce that's wonderful on seafood, chicken and stir-fry dishes, and the refreshing Lemon & Mint Chili Sauce for lighter fare like fish, poultry and veggie dishes. All Olio & Spices sauces are Kosher and come with several pages of FREE recipes.

*Can't decide which Olio & Spices sauces to get? Then simply select our Kosher Gift Set featuring a bottle of each flavor (plus all the recipes), at a discounted price!

*Yes, there's such a thing as Kosher barbecue, and we have the sauces and seasonings you need to enjoy it! Try Bad Byron's Butt Rub and Bone Suckin' Rib Rub as your Kosher dry rubs, and any of the Bone Suckin' BBQ Sauces as your Kosher barbeque sauce.

*Looking for Kosher condiments for holiday entertaining and gift giving? We have Bone Suckin' Sweet Hot Mustard and Bone Suckin' Salsa in hot and mild, as well as smoky Chipotle Ketchup and spicy Jalapeno Ketchup (on sale!)

*For folks who enjoy cooking and keep Kosher, we have 4 different flavors of South Africa's Nando's Cooking and Grilling Sauces including mouthwatering flavors like Curry Coconut and Sweet Apricot, and also 4 different varieties of Nando's Marinades including the Tuscan style sundried-tomato & basil, and exotic lime & cilantro.

*If you need Kosher hot sauces for a chilehead, check out Bone Suckin' Hiccupin' Hot Habanero Sauce from North Carolina, Melinda's Hot Sauces from the Caribbean, Nando's Peri-Peri Pepper Sauces from South Africa, and the fiery-fruity Robert Rothschild Raspberry Thunder Sauce

*For steak-lovers, we have all 9 flavors of Char Crust Seasonings from the famous Al Farber's Steakhouse in Chicago

*If you need a Kosher wing sauce for someone who loves Buffalo wings, both zesty flavors of Melinda's Buffalo Wing Sauces (in hot and extra hot) are Kosher, all-natural, AND on sale, too!

*Still not sure what to get as a Hanukkah gift? Check out our entire selection of Kosher sauces and seasonings, or take the easy way out and send a Carolina Sauce Co. gift certificate!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Herbed Chicken in White Wine Sauce

Here's a simple yet elegant recipe that uses one of my favorite seasonings, Big Daddy's Superb Herb Seasoning:

Ingredients
3 lbs chicken breasts and/or thighs
3 to 4 Tbs butter
8 oz sliced mushrooms (I like cremini but you can use white)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tsp Big Daddy's Superb Herb Seasoning
Pinch of ground white pepper (or to taste)

Melt the butter in a large saucepan, then saute the chicken until golden. Place the chicken in a 9x13 dish. Preheat oven to 250F degrees. Add the mushrooms to the saucepan and saute until softened. Remove pan from heat and stir in the wine, herb seasoning and pepper. Pour this sauce over the chicken, cover and bake at 250F degrees for about 1 hour or until chicken is cooked through.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Carolina Sauce Holiday Shipping Tips

If you shop with the Carolina Sauce Company and want to make sure your orders arrive in time for Christmas, here are some tips:

*We make every effort to ship in-stock orders within 24 hours from the time we receive them (excluding weekends). However, please keep in mind that this may not always be possible during the next two weeks so please select your shipping method accordingly.

*We make every effort to keep our website up to date regarding out-of-stock and back-ordered items. If you order something that is out of stock or on back-order but isn't marked as such online, we will email or call you to let you know.

*UPS Ground is almost always the cheapest shipping method to non-PO Box addresses. Delivery times depend on the distance the package has to travel from our warehouse in Durham, NC. If you're not sure how long a package will take to arrive at its destination, please check the UPS Ground Map and enter our warehouse zip code, which is 27701.

*For in-stock orders shipping via UPS Ground to the East coast or Central US, orders placed by noon EST on Thursday December 17th should arrive in time for Christmas. For in-stock orders shipping via UPS Ground to the West coast, orders placed by noon EST on Tuesday December 15th should arrive in time for Christmas.

*If your order has to ship via the US Postal Service (e.g., shipping to AK, HI, a PO Box, or APO/FPO address), please check the USPS Holiday Shipping Schedule. Please allow at least one extra day for manual processing if your order requires USPS shipping because we have to do those quotes manually.

*On December 24th, UPS will provide regular delivery service for air and ground packages. There is NO delivery on Christmas Day, December 25th.

*The fastest way to contact us during the holiday shopping season is either by email (salesATcarolinasauceDOTcom) or through Twitter by sending a Tweet to SaucyGlo. I'll be checking email and Twitter regularly to answer any questions.

*Ordering online is the fastest way to get your order processed. Phone orders take longer (usually at least 1 extra day) because they need to be entered manually into our system, and we are often away from the phone while packing orders in the warehouse. However, if you must order by phone and get our voicemail, please leave a message and we will call you back as soon as we can.

I hope this helps, and thanks for shopping with us!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Tortuga Mango Ginger Sauce and Tortuga Sweet Heat Sauce are Back in Stock!

If you've been missing the zippy, fruity flavor of Tortuga Mango & Ginger Stir Fry Sauce, or the sweet and peppery heat of Tortuga Sweet Heat Caribbean Pepper Sauce, I have good news: Both of these tasty tropical sauces from the Tortuga Rum Cake Company are now back in stock at the Carolina Sauce Company online store! Made with all-natural ingredients including sweet ripe mangoes, tart tamarind, zesty ginger and just a dash of fiery scotch bonnet peppers, the Mango & Ginger Stir Fry Sauce is wonderful with all sorts of fish, seafood, chicken, veggie and rice dishes -- and not just for stir-fry dishes, either! I like to use it as a table sauce or condiment for fish and steamed vegetables, and also as a way to add some zip to Chinese takeout (it's amazing on lo mein) or leftover rice. You can also marinate shrimp in it, or serve it as a dipping sauce for kabobs and all sorts of fried finger-food. And if you're watching your salt intake or counting carbs, you can still enjoy this sauce because it has only 1 carb and 5 mg of sodium per teaspoon!

If you like a little more fire in your belly, but still appreciate exotic tropical flavors, then the Tortuga Sweet Heat Pepper Sauce is for you. The delicious surprise in this unusual hot sauce is Carambola, or star fruit, which adds a pleasantly tart tang along with natural sweet notes to the rich mustard & scotch bonnet base. This Caribbean pepper sauce is hot enough to please chiliheads, but not so fiery as to hurt your tongue or overpower your food. I enjoy Sweet Heat sauce on grilled dishes, especially seafood and poultry, and it's also good as a burger condiment, an addition to stews and ground beef recipes, and pretty much any way you'd use a fruity hot sauce. And unlike other sweet, fruity hot sauces, Tortuga Sweet Heat Caribbean Pepper Sauce has only 1 carb per teaspoon, so it won't blow your diet.

Both of these Tortuga sauces are currently on sale for only $3.35 a bottle, so stock up for your pantry and for giving as stocking-stuffers for Christmas!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

November's Top 10 Best-Selling Sauces & Seasonings

The following are the Top Ten best-selling sauces and seasonings across all categories at the Carolina Sauce Company online store for November. This collection of sauces makes a great holiday shopping list for anyone looking for a delicious Christmas gift for a foodie, chilehead, or zesty-foods aficionado!

1. Busha Browne's Pukka Sauce is back at the top as our best-selling sauce for November, and this fiery & flavorful Jamaican table sauce is great with just about any savory dish!

2. Matouk's Calypso Sauce is a rich Caribbean hot sauce with a sweet & savory mustard base and plenty of aged pickled scotch bonnet peppers

3. Buderim Ginger Bears is a favorite among fans of zippy ginger because these gummy bear candies from Australia are made with real ginger

4. Matouk's West Indian Hot Sauce from Trinidad & Tobago features authentic tropical flavor with sweet papaya and spicy scotch bonnet peppers

5. Castle Sauce is our all-time best-selling sauce, and this flavorful classic steak & burger sauce from Greensboro NC has generations of fans all around the country!

6. Matouk's Flambeau Sauce is the hottest of the Matouk's family, and while it's chock-full of the most fiery scotch bonnet peppers found in the Caribbean, it also has a great rich flavor

7. Georgia Peach & Vidalia Onion Hot Sauce is a deliciously fruity and mildly spicy table sauce that captures two of the best flavors of summer in the South

8. Walkerswood Traditional Jamaican Jerk Seasoning is regularly on our list of best-selling products, and this authentic Jamaican jerk paste (wet rub) delivers real jerk flavor and fire

9. Wells Hog Heaven BBQ Sauce from Burgaw NC (just outside of Wilmington) is an authentic eastern NC vinegar-based barbecue sauce that's perfect for Carolina style pulled pork BBQ

10. Dave's Ultimate Insanity Hot Sauce: This ultra-hot hot sauce is not for the faint of tongue or delicate of heart, and just a toothpick-drop is enough to heat up a pot of chili!

Stay tuned to this blog for highlights from our best-seller lists for November in each product category, coming soon!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Bacon & Herb Seasoned Venison Tenderloin

I made this for dinner last night, and the results were succulent and as delicious as any beef filet mignon I've ever had. Because venison is so lean, the bacon grease keeps it moist and juicy while it broils and gives it an amazing "steak house" flavor which the herb seasoning enhances even more. If you know someone who swears they hate venison, I bet this recipe will change their mind! There's nothing to measure for this recipe - just go by feel - and I bet it would work on the grill as well as the broiler. I always have a little container of bacon grease in my fridge because we save the grease when we fry bacon. But if you don't have any in your refrigerator, simply fry up some bacon (which you can enjoy with your meal or save for later) and use the grease in the skillet for this recipe.

I started with two large pieces of venison tenderloin, from the big doe Greg shot on Saturday. I rinsed off the venison under running water and patted the meat dry. I then melted some bacon grease in a microwave safe bowl, and dipped each piece of venison in the melted grease to coat on all sides. I shook off the excess grease from each piece and then placed the meat on a piece of aluminum foil on my broiler pan (for ease of cleaning the pan later). I liberally sprinkled the venison tenderloin pieces with Big Daddy's Superb Herb Seasoning on both sides, and then placed the broiler pan on the second-from-the-top rung of my oven, and broiled for a few minutes, turning once until done to medium-rare. ***Keep your eye on the oven while you broil, because the bacon grease can splatter and can catch on fire!!***

Broil until just a little less done than you'd like because the venison will continue to cook for a while after you remove the pan from the broiler, so be careful not to over-cook. I removed the pan from the oven while the meat was still rare and I let it sit for a minute or so, and by the time I served it the meat had finished to medium-rare.

While driving to work this morning, it dawned on me that the venison tenderloin would probably also be delicious if made this way: Rinse & pat dry the meat as above, then sprinkle both sides liberally with Big Daddy's Superb Herb Seasoning, and then wrap with two or three slices of uncooked bacon. Place on the broiler pan or on your grill grate, bacon-seam side down, and broil or grill over indirect heat until the bacon is cooked and the meat is medium-rare (or your preferred doneness, keeping in mind that the venison will continue to cook for a bit after removed from the oven or grill). I'll see if we can try this bacon-wrapped method the next time we have some venison tenderloin.

Do you have a favorite recipe for venison tenderloin? Feel free to share it here in a comment!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria