Scorned Woman Chipotle & Garlic Pepper Sauce

Is great flavor important to you when selecting a hot sauce? Do you enjoy the pungent flavor of garlic? How about the smoky, fiery heat of chipotles? If you answered yes to these 3 questions, then Scorned Woman Chipotle & Garlic Pepper Sauce is for you. Not nearly as hot as the original Scorned Woman Hot Sauce, this hot sauce is all about the flavor. Moderately spicy on the heat scale (about a mild medium to most folks), this zesty hot sauce features the robust flavors of chipotle and garlic in a tangy -- but not overly vinegary -- base, making it an excellent choice when you want to add complementary flavors with a fiesty kick. I like this hot sauce on pretty much anything grilled: hamburgers, veggie burgers, chicken, shrimp, veggie kabobs and the like. As you can imagine, it's also quite good on nachos, burritos, tacos and other Tex-Mex and Southwestern fare. I've even been known to splash it on pizza and spaghetti to rev up the flavor. Scorned Woman Chipotle Garlic Sauce also works well in hearty recipes including pretty much anything with ground meat, plus stews, casseroles, bean dishes, roasted vegetables and the like. Use a dash or two on rotisserie chicken, deli sandwiches and leftovers from last night's dinner to wake up your palate. At only $4.25 for a full-size 5oz bottle when you order it from the Carolina Sauce Company, Scorned Woman Chipotle Garlic Pepper Sauce is a great deal!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

PS: If you're counting carbs or watching your sodium intake, you'll be glad to know that this hot sauce has no carbs and only 25mg of sodium per teaspoon.

Carolina Sauce Coupon Sale Ends Tomorrow!

Tomorrow is the end of the month, and it's also the end of our special July coupon sale. Save 10% off the following products at the Carolina Sauce Company online store when you use the coupon code Blog710. There's no minimum purchase required -- simply enter the coupon online in the "coupon code" field on the billing page, or mention the coupon when ordering by phone, and you'll receive 10% off even already-discounted sale prices. The Blog710 coupon expires TOMORROW, July 31, 2010, and is good on the following zesty products:

Bear-Man Growlin' Grizzly BBQ & Grilling Sauce
D'Vine Muscadine BBQ Sauce
Ole Time Barbecue Sauce
Ole Time Hot Sauce
Pit Road BBQ Sauce
Tarheel Premium Honey Barbeque Sauce
Tarheel Premium Original BBQ Sauce
Uncle Pete's Bar-B-Que Sauces
Bubba's Special Sauce
Mad Dog Inferno Hot Sauce
Red's Sweet Salsa
Capsicana Zing Gourmet Sauce, 5oz bottle
Burning Asphalt Blazin' Habanero Ketchup
Burning Asphalt Zesty Jalapeno Ketchup
Trolly Stop Hot Mustard Sauce
Burning Asphalt Homestyle Steak Sauce
Burning Asphalt Sweet Pepper Steak & Dipping Sauce
Carolina Sauce Co. Mountain Pepper Jellies, all 4 varieties
Walkerswood One Stop Savory Sauce
DEFCON 3 Mild Wing Sauce
Tony's Birdland Wing Sauces, all 3 flavors

Check out our July Newsletter for more info on the above products, AND for the Recipe of the Month plus 3 quick grilling tips, an update on Operation Sauce Drop, and other saucy news.

Want to receive more coupons and exclusive sales as well as recipes, the latest zesty news on new products, etc? Simply sign up for our FREE monthly eNewsletter!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Nando's Simple South African Drumsticks

You can make these super-easy, finger-lickin'-good grilled chicken drumsticks using your favorite flavor of Nando's Peri-Peri Marinades. Made in South Africa and featured in the world-famous Nando's Chickenland restaurants around the globe, Nando's marinades come in 4 delicious flavors including tomato-rich Portuguese BBQ, Tuscan-inspired Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil Marinade, citrusy Lime & Cilantro Marinade, and spicy Hot Peri-Peri Marinade with plenty of fiery South African bird's-eye peppers.

Ingredients
8 chicken drumsticks
1 bottle of Nando's Marinade

Place the chicken drumsticks in a resealable plastic bag and pour in enough marinade to coat completely. Marinate in refrigerator for as little as 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. Remove chicken from bag, discard used marinade and grill the drumsticks over indirect heat, frequently turning and basting with fresh marinade until chicken is fully cooked. That's it!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

New Lower Price on Melinda's Habanero Ketchup!

Here at Carolina Sauce Company, we believe in passing along great deals to our customers whenever we can. Consistent with that philosophy, we're now offering Melinda's Habanero Ketchup at a new lower price! Originally $6.50 for a 13oz bottle, our new price is only $5.99 for the same size bottle. Melinda's all-natural ketchups are quite possibly the finest ketchups you can buy, made with only the highest-quality ingredients, absolutely NO high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), and nothing artificial at all -- plus they're Kosher, too! As a result, all three varieties of Melinda's ketchups tastes like real tomatoes, not some overly-sweet little-kids' condiment. Melinda's Habanero Ketchup is spiced with ripe red habaneros for a fiery kick that's hot but not unbearable, making it the perfect grown-up condiment for folks who enjoy hot & spicy foods. And at only $5.99 for a full-size bottle, you can now enjoy the best at a great lower price!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Semper Fi Marine Corps Hot Sauce

Dedicated to the brave men and women who serve and who have served in the US Marine Corps, Semper Fi Marine Corps Hot Sauce comes to us from Camp Lejeune NC, where it is a favorite on steaks, chops, burgers, and anything else that could use some serious firepower. This is a gourmet hot sauce made with all-natural ingredients according to the Caribbean style: Fiery red habanero peppers blended with carrots, onions and garlic in a vinegar-lime juice base, with just a dash of salt. The habanero flavor is straightforward with plenty of heat (about a 7 on a 10-point scale where 10 is hottest), but not so ridiculously hot that you can't taste your food. Semper Fi Hot Sauce is great as an everyday hot table sauce to splash on everything from breakfast eggs, sausage, hash browns etc. to lunchtime sandwiches, burgers, pizzas, tacos etc. to dinner entrees like grilled meats, roast chicken, pasta, Mexican/Tex-Mex/Southwestern and other hearty fare. Because this is an honest hot sauce without additional flavorings (e.g., no herbs, mustard, smoke etc.), it also works well in all sorts of recipes when you want to add fiery heat without altering the essential flavor of the recipe -- for example, chili, meatloaf and other ground-meat dishes, casseroles, stews, homemade salsa and spaghetti sauce, rice & beans, and more.

If you're looking for a gift for a Marine who enjoys zesty foods, you can't go wrong with Semper Fi Marine Corps Hot Sauce: The elegant gold-foil label features the Marine Corps emblem, AND when you purchase this sauce from the Carolina Sauce Company we donate a dollar for every bottle sold to Operation Sauce Drop, our nonprofit program that sends free gift boxes of hot sauce, BBQ sauce & salsa to US troops serving abroad. To see other products that help support our deployed troops, check out our Shop to Support Operation Sauce Drop offerings. Semper Fi Hot Sauce has no artificial ingredients or preservatives and has zero carbs, making it a healthy, as well as patriotic, choice for spicing up your food.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Final Week for Carolina Sauce July Coupon Sale!

As you already know if you subscribe to the Carolina Sauce eNewsletter, July is National Grilling Month. To celebrate this zesty month, our July eNewsletter includes a special coupon code that gets you 10% off select sauces and seasonings, including some already-discounted sale items -- but only through July 31st, which is this coming Saturday. Want to find the coupon code, and get July's featured recipe as well as some useful grilling tips and info on our latest new products? It's easy: Read this month's Carolina Sauce Newsletter here on this blog and you'll have what you need to make your next cookout or bbq a huge success, AND the special coupon code to help you save some money, too!

Don't delay, because the July coupon code is good THIS WEEK ONLY and expires at midnight on Saturday, July 31st!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

PS: Want to receive more coupons, exclusive sales, our tasty recipe of the month and other zesty news? It's easy: Sign up to receive our FREE monthly eNewsletter! Visit the Carolina Sauce Company home page and look for the "FREE Newsletter" paragraph in the middle column, then click on the link to get to the sign-up screen. Simpler still, just sign up here!

5 Easy Tips to Make Summer Dining Special

When the weather is hot, dinner tends to become simpler and more casual, at least around my house. Whether you're entertaining friends in the summer heat or simply grilling dinner for your family out on the patio, you can still add some special little touches to the dining experience. Here are five quick & easy tips that you can use any time of year, but especially for summertime dining:

1. Serve a simple appetizer of chutney or preserves poured over a block of cream cheese, with crackers or fresh vegetables like carrots and celery.

2. If serving lemonade, punch or iced tea, freeze some of the beverage in one or more ice cube trays ahead of time to use as ice in the drink without diluting it the way regular water ice cubes would.

3. Add an elegant garnish to plates by using curled vegetables: Slice one or more carrots and celery stalks in half crosswise, and then lengthwise into thin strips and soak in ice water for a few minutes until curled.

4. If serving sandwiches, keep them from getting soggy by spreading a very thin layer of butter or margarine on the "inner" side of each piece of bread before assembling the sandwich (use an herbed butter if you want to add some flavor).

5. Fresh fruit makes a light summer dessert, but some cut fruit will discolor quickly which makes it trickier to prepare ahead of time. To keep fresh cut fruit such as apple wedges, peaches or bananas from discoloring before serving, place in a shallow container and cover with an acidic juice such as lemon, orange or pineapple.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Zesty Island Shrimp & Rice

This recipe is from the folks who make the aptly-named and fiendishly delicious Pain Is Good Hot Sauces, with the famous "screaming head" labels. The original recipe calls for 1/5 cup of each juice, which I find difficult to measure (I've yet to find a 1/5 cup measuring cup), so I simply use a "scant 1/4 cup" instead. I also prefer to use organic, low-sodium chicken broth, but you can use regular. And if I'm serving this to someone who hates cilantro, I substitute parsley instead (or you can omit the green stuff altogether).

Ingredients
1 lb peeled & deveined shrimp with tails on
1/3 cup Pain Is Good #114 Jamaican Style Hot Sauce
scant 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice, divided into 2 equal portions
scant 1/4 cup fresh pineapple juice, divided into 2 equal portions
1/8 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 Tbs olive oil
1 cup white rice
1 1/2 cups chicken broth

In a resealable gallon-size storage bag, combine the shrimp, olive oil, one portion of each juice, and the Pain is Good Jamaican hot sauce. Seal tightly, shake to combine and refrigerate for 2 hours. For the rice, bring the broth and the remaining juice to a boil in a small pot. Add the rice and cilantro, stir, and lower the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes until done, then keep warm while you cook the shrimp. To prepare the shrimp, skewer the shrimp evenly on 4 metal skewers. Discard used marinade. Grill them for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, turning once, until shrimp is cooked through. Serve on top of the cooked rice.

Note: I sometimes add some chunks of fresh pineapple and bell pepper to the marinating shrimp, and then skewer & grill the pineapple and pepper to serve with the shrimp and rice. These take longer to cook than the shrimp, so I usually start grilling them while the rice is cooking and before grilling the shrimp.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Spiced Iced Tea

Masala Chai, or Indian spiced tea, is commonly enjoyed hot with milk in India, but this chilled version is quite refreshing on a hot day. Serves 4.

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups water
2 tsp orange pekoe tea leaves OR 1 teabag
4 cloves
1 inch cinnamon stick
Pinch ground cardamom*
Crushed ice
Fresh lemon or lime juice
Sugar to taste

Place the tea, cloves, cinnamon stick, cardamom and sugar to taste in a teapot. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil, then pour the boiling water and steep, covered, for up to 5 minutes. Stir well, strain, and combine with the remaining water. Allow to cool. Fill 4 tall glasses with crushed ice and lemon or lime juice to taste, then pour in the cooled tea mixture and stir.

*Note: For authentic flavor, use freshly crushed cardamom seeds: Remove the seeds from 4 green cardamoms (discard the pods and membranes), then crush the seeds with a mortar & pestle.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria
Carolina Sauce Company

Bear-Man Tummy Rub is in the News!

One of my favorite dry rubs and all-purpose seasonings, Bear-Man Tummy Rub, is featured in the July/August 2010 issue of "Coastal Living" magazine! Made in upstate New York, Bear-Man Tummy Rub is a mouthwatering blend of all-natural spices and herbs in a brown sugar and chili powder base, with a touch of black & red pepper and cayenne for a perky kick. When rubbed on ribs, pork chops, chicken and other meats or poultry, the brown sugar caramelizes while the food is grilled, resulting in a savory crust that seals in the juices and imparts a wonderful flavor. Bear-Man Tummy Rub is also great as an all-purpose seasoning for ground meat recipes, soups, stews, veggies, potatoes and more -- in fact, when you order this savory-sweet rub from the Carolina Sauce Company, we'll send you a FREE recipe brochure that showcases the versatility of this seasoning blend! One taste and you'll agree that Bear-Man Tummy Rub is indeed "tummy-rubbing" good, and worthy of recognition in Coastal Living Magazine. And if you're health-conscious, you'll be glad to know that Tummy Rub has no MSG or dyes, is gluten-free, and is made with non-irradiated ingredients.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Mule Dip

This yummy layered dip comes from the folks who make Old Mule BBQ Sauce, a thick & rich, perkily peppery, subtly sweet & smoky barbecue sauce from the North Carolina mountains.

Ingredients
2 8oz packages of cream cheese, softened (regular or reduced-fat)
1 package of taco seasoning mix
1 can refried black beans
1 cup Old Mule BBQ Sauce
2 cups shredded lettuce
2 cups grated cheese (I use cheddar and/or Monterey jack)
1 cup diced tomatoes

Blend together the cream cheese and taco seasoning. Spread on a plate or in the bottom of a wide bowl. On top, spread a thin layer of refried beans, then spread the Old Mule BBQ Sauce on top. You can repeat layers if desired. Top with shredded cheese, lettuce and tomatoes. Serve with chips, or raw veggies or pita wedges for dipping.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Carolina Sauce Newsletter: Tips, Recipe & Coupon for National Grilling Month!

July is National Grilling Month! Here are 3 easy tips to help you get the most out of your grill:

1. Keep Grill Grates Clean. Dirty grates cause food to stick and pick up "off" flavors. Clean your grates after each use by allowing residue to "burn off" and scrubbing with a stiff wire bristle brush.

2. Re-Season Cast Iron Grill Grates. If your grill has cast-iron grates, you should have seasoned them prior to first use. After each use & cleaning, re-season by turning off the grill and applying a thin coating of solid vegetable shortening with a paper towel while the grates are warm, then closing the lid with the grates in until they're cool. Re-seasoning will keep food from sticking.

2. Remove Excess Grease from Drip Pan or Bottom Tray. Before each use, check the drip pan or bottom tray to prevent grease accumulation. Excess grease can start a grease fire.

Honey-Lime Grilled Bananas
Here's a quick & easy grilled dessert from the makers of Weber grills: Cut 4 unpeeled bananas lengthwise into halves and place skin-side down on grill grate over indirect/medium heat. Grill until skins are black, about 6 to 8 minutes. Turn bananas over and grill 2 to 3 minutes more. Arrange bananas on serving plates and drizzle with honey and fresh-squeezed lime juice (2 limes).

Coupon Sale!

Save 10% off the following products at the Carolina Sauce Company online store by using the coupon code Blog710, no minimum purchase required! Enter the coupon online in the "coupon code" field on the billing page, or mention the coupon when ordering by phone, and you'll receive 10% off the following products including already-discounted sale prices. The Blog710 coupon is good on the following products thru July 31, 2010, while supplies last:

BBQ Sauce
Bear-Man Growlin' Grizzly, a big, bold & tangy tomato BBQ sauce that's slightly sweet, with a peppery kick
D'Vine Muscadine BBQ Sauce, a tangy tomato-mustard-vinegar BBQ sauce with a touch of sweet NC muscadine grapes
Ole Time BBQ Sauce, THE sauce that made Ole Time BBQ Restaurant (Raleigh NC) famous, featuring tangy vinegar with tomato & pepper for pork, chicken & more
Ole Time Hot Sauce, a spicy-hot vinegar BBQ sauce in the Eastern NC style for pulled pork, marinating chicken, and seasoning greens
Pit Road BBQ Sauce, a rich tomato-mustard dipping, basting & grilling sauce with a racing-inspired label -- great on the grill, on the stove & in a crockpot!
Tarheel Premium Honey BBQ Sauce, sweet & sassy, wonderful for glazing ribs, basting chicken, mopping & dipping & slathering at the table
Tarheel Premium Original BBQ Sauce, a little sweet, a little tangy and a little spicy, with just the right amount of thickness - perfect for beef ribs, brisket, pork loin & chicken
Uncle Pete's BBQ Sauces, bold & thick, sweet & savory award-winning South Carolina sauces in Original, Spicy, and Hickory - each comes with FREE recipes!

Hot Sauce & Salsa
Bubba's Special Sauce, thick like a salsa, this tomato & hot-pepper hot sauce from Alabama comes in a jar and is great on burgers & sandwiches, in chili & meatloaf, with eggs & sausage, & more!
Mad Dog Inferno, FIERY-hot jalapeno sauce spiked with pepper extract and sweetened with molasses
Red's Sweet Salsa, sweet & chunky salsa made with tomatoes, peppers & onion (no fruit), great with chips, on nachos, in recipes, etc.
Zing Gourmet Sauce, 5oz, flavorful & spicy without being hot, Zing is fabulous on everything from breakfast food to dinner entrees, AND comes with free recipes!

Ketchup & Mustard
Burning Asphalt Blazin' Habanero Ketchup, fiery-hot & seductively sweet, this rich ketchup is perfect for grownups who love ketchup and enjoy spicy food
Burning Asphalt Zesty Jalapeno Ketchup, sweet & rich with a mildly spicy peppery kick to wake up your tastebuds without burning them
Trolly Stop Hot Mustard, a Wilmington NC favorite, this dijon mustard is spiced with chipotle & habanero and flavored with honey & pineapple for layers of fiery flavor

Steak Sauce & Pepper Jelly
Burning Asphalt Homestyle Steak Sauce, robust & zesty with rich flavor and a zippy horseradish kick
Burning Asphalt Sweet Pepper Steak Sauce, a traditional steak sauce with a touch of sweetness and a dash of habanero
Carolina Sauce Co. Mountain Pepper Jellies, the perfect savory-sweet condiment for roast chicken or pork, steak & grilled foods, available in mild or hot, Red or Green (4 varieties)
Walkerswood One Stop Savory Sauce, Caribbean seasonings blended with bananas, mango & raisins for an exotic table sauce that's great with steak & any savory dish

Wing Sauces
DEFCON 3 Mild Wing Sauce, rich & creamy award-winning Buffalo style wing sauce with a mildly spicy cayenne bite
Tony's Birdland Wing Sauces from Richmond NY's famous Tony's Birdland restaurant, these sweet & tangy wing sauces come in Mild, Hot and Sweet & Sour

Our Latest New Products are On Sale!
Check out our newest products, all on sale, no coupon required:

*Big Bob Gibson White BBQ Sauce: The ORIGINAL white BBQ sauce from Alabama, great on chicken, seafood & pork
*Lip Lickin' BBQ Sauces, mouthwatering Piedmont NC sauces (tomato & vinegar) in 2 rich flavors: Bold & Spicy, and Sweet & Smoky
*Tortuga Hot Caribbean Pepper Sauce, a traditional Caribbean hot sauce made with fiery scotch bonnet peppers in a savory mustard base
*Pig Pen's Hot & Spicy Seasoning is a SERIOUSLY hot but truly tasty savory-sweet dry rub
*Thomas Gourmet Cranberry Chutney, not just for turkey or Thanksgiving - try this sweet & tart chutney in sandwiches, with grilled meats, or blended with cream cheese as a spread!
*Thomas Pineapple Chutney, packed with exotic tropical flavor and a sprinkling of almonds, enjoy with chicken, fish, pork & more

Send Free Sauce to a Deployed Soldier
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 940 free gift boxes to our deployed military, at absolutely NO cost to them. Our cost to purchase and ship each free gift generally runs from $20 to $25. 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 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).

Follow SaucyGlo on Twitter for exclusive coupons, the latest food news, & for sharing zesty tips!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Melinda's Bold Buffalo Wings

This recipe comes to us from the creators of the world-famous Melinda's Hot Sauces. Melinda's sauces are well-known for using all-natural ingredients and expertly balancing heat with great flavor. Their wing sauces are unique in that they blend fiery habanero peppers with the traditional tangy cayenne pepper found in most Buffalo style wing sauces, AND they're Kosher as well as all-natural. The result is an irresistible Buffalo wing sauce with the perfect combination of sizzle and tang that will have you coming back for more. While the following recipe calls for 5 lbs of chicken wings, you can easily make less or more as desired since the recipe doesn't require precise ingredient amounts. You can either bake or fry the wings.

Ingredients
5 lbs chicken wings
Garlic powder
Black pepper
Seasoned salt
1 bottle of Melinda's Wing Sauce (your choice of flavor)

If using oven, preheat to 400F degrees. Season the chicken wings with garlic powder, black pepper and seasoned salt [Note: I like to do this by tossing everything together in a large resealable plastic bag and shaking, or tossing in a large bowl]. Fry the seasoned wings in hot oil until crispy brown, OR bake for 20 minutes at 400F, turning after 10 minutes. In a saucepan, simmer Melinda's Wing Sauce on low heat. Briefly toss the wings in the warmed sauce, then serve the wings on a platter with celery sticks and chunky blue cheese dressing for dipping [Note: I like to use Anchor Bar Bleu Cheese Sauce].

PS: Although Melinda's Hot Wing Sauce is currently out of stock at the manufacturer level, you can still get Melinda's Extra Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce -- and it's currently on sale online at the Carolina Sauce Company!

Big Bob Gibson White BBQ Sauce

Alabama is famous for its unique mayonnaise-based white barbecue sauce, and local lore says Big Bob Gibson originated this sauce back in 1925. Today, his grandkids continue the tradition at the acclaimed Big Bob Gibson's Restaurant in Decatur, AL, and folks come from near and far to devour their delicious BBQ chicken and pork slathered in Big Bob Gibson's Original White Bar-B-Q Sauce. Once virtually unheard of outside of Alabama, white BBQ sauce has gained a nationwide following thanks to TV food shows and celebrity chefs demonstrating the many uses of this creamy, tangy and peppery sauce. If you've never tried white barbecue sauce, or if you're already a fan and wish you could enjoy it at home, I have good news: The Carolina Sauce Company now proudly offers Big Bob Gibson's Original White BBQ Sauce on our Southern Foods page.

I admit that I was skeptical about white barbecue sauce until I tried it a few years ago. Although I still tend to prefer vinegar or tomato based sauces on pulled pork BBQ, I must confess that I'm now a convert to white BBQ sauce when it comes to chicken and seafood, and especially fish. The results are juicy, succulent and flavorful without overwhelming the natural flavor of poultry or seafood. Use Big Bob Gibson White BBQ sauce as a marinade for your favorite meat or poultry (especially chicken or turkey), baste with more sauce towards the end of grilling or cooking, and then serve with some sauce on the side for dipping or pouring at the table. If using white barbecue sauce with fish or other seafood, you don't need to marinate first - simply dip the raw fish or seafood into the sauce and then cook while basting with more sauce. Big Bob Gibson's White Bar-B-Q Sauce is also excellent as a table sauce or dipping sauce with all sorts of grilled, broiled, roasted or fried foods, and also with chicken wings, raw veggies (crudites), and even poured on baked potatoes instead of using sour cream or butter. Mix some of this tasty sauce into mayo-based salads like coleslaw, potato, egg, tuna or pasta salad to add some zip, or use it as a tangy salad dressing over greens and other vegetables. One taste of Big Bob Gibson's award-winning sauce and I'll bet you'll jump on the Alabama white BBQ sauce bandwagon too!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Harnett County's #1 Must-Eat Food is Apple Pie MmmMarmalade!

This month's issue of Our State Magazine featured the 100 must-eat foods in North Carolina's 100 counties, selecting one food from each county that best showcases the county's character. If you've ever tasted Mrs. Picky Fanicky's Apple Pie MmmMarmalade, it'll come as no surprise when I tell you that this all-natural, blue-ribbon-winning apple marmalade was selected as THE must-eat food from Harnett County, NC!

Mrs. Picky Fanicky uses crisp mountain apples, a splash of orange juice and lemon juice, and a secret blend of spices to create a decadently sweet, rich, old-fashioned marmalade that tastes like Grandma's homemade apple pie filling. Spoon it over ice cream, pancakes, French toast and biscuits, or stir it into oatmeal and bread pudding, and serve it with pork chops or roast turkey as a sweet counterpoint. Or do what I do when I crave a sweet but healthy dessert: Grab a spoon, open up a jar and dig in!

Mrs. Picky Fanicky's Apple Pie MmmMarmalade is currently on sale at the Carolina Sauce Company, so now's the time to try the best of Harnett County!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Carolina Sauce is Open for Business!

The Carolina Sauce Company is open again after last week's vacation, and all hands are busy fulfilling orders, re-stocking items that sold out while we were closed, replying to emails and returning phone calls, and otherwise catching up with work. While vacation was quite relaxing, it was also productive and creative: We tried some new sauces and seasonings which we're considering as potential new products for our online store, we did lots of brainstorming and strategic planning, and we completed some website "clean-up" and general maintenance to make the online shopping experience at Carolina Sauce easier and more efficient.

A sincere Thank You to all of you who continued to shop online while we were closed, and a special thank-you for your patience and understanding as we scramble to fill your orders as fast as we can. And a huge, heartfelt THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH to those folks who made donations to Operation Sauce Drop right before we closed, and to folks who purchased "shop to support Operation Sauce Drop" products -- because of your generous support of our troops, we are in the process of fulfilling ALL of the gift-box requests on our waiting list AND will soon re-open the Operation Sauce Drop program with a little bit of money in the bank! This means we'll be able to resume sending a FREE taste of home to US troops serving abroad. While we were closed, we received more thank-you notes and photos from deployed troops who recently received their free gift boxes of sauce through Operation Sauce Drop. These will soon be posted on the OSD Feedback & Photos page, and I'll announce that here on my blog for those of you who'd like to read the latest thank-you notes and see how much our brave servicemen and women appreciate your thoughtfulness while they're deployed or stationed far from home.

Without further ado, I'll sign off for now and get back to the warehouse to keep working on those gift boxes and orders from our customers. Thanks again for your support!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

June's Top 10 Best-Selling Sauces & Zesty Products

Yes, the Carolina Sauce Company is still technically closed and I am still technically on vacation, but thanks to the marvels of modern technology (WiFi at the campground and a trusty laptop) I've been able to tally the top ten best-selling sauces, seasonings, and other zesty products for the month of June. Below are the results across all product categories, and I'll be updating the category-specific best-seller lists on the Carolina Sauce website in the next day or so. Once I'm back at the office next week, June's top 10 best-sellers will be listed on the Carolina Sauce home page, replacing May's list.

1. Castle Sauce was our overall top-selling item last month (and remains our all-time best-selling product). Made in Greensboro NC, this old-fashioned burger and steak sauce features a tasty mustard-ketchup flavor with a perky kick, making it a favorite of young and old alike.

2. Wells Hog Heaven BBQ Sauce is made in eastern NC and is true to form: Tangy vinegar base, no tomatoes and a mildly spicy finish. Ideal for NC style pulled pork BBQ, Wells Barbecue Sauce is also terrific as a marinade for chicken and other meats.

3. Matouk's West Indian Hot Sauce is made in Trinidad & Tobago and delivers true Caribbean flavor to all sorts of savory dishes. Spicy-hot scotch bonnet peppers and a bit of tropical fruit bring you a taste of island cuisine at home.

4. Matouk's Salsa Picante Hot Pepper Sauce is hotter than the West Indian recipe, made with even more fiery scotch bonnet peppers in a savory mustard base and no fruit. This thick, rich hot sauce is a favorite in Trinidad and among US chiliheads who've encountered Matouk's in the Caribbean.

5. Calhoun's Charcoal Grill Seasoning continues its reign as our 5th best-selling product for another month. This steakhouse seasoning from Tennessee is made with real charcoal and is a convenient way to add char-grilled flavor to steaks, burgers & more when you cook indoors or on a gas grill.

6. Matouk's Calypso Sauce, also from Trinidad & Tobago, starts with the same fiery scotch bonnet & mustard base as the Salsa Picante from Matouks, but then adds some cane sugar to help temper the heat. This subtly sweet Caribbean hot sauce is fabulous on grilled foods, roast chicken, and all sorts of seafood!

7. Matouk's Flambeau Sauce is definitely the hottest of the Matouk's Hot Sauces, and is about as hot as you can get without adding pepper extract. The aged pickled scotch bonnet peppers take center stage, and the thick and tangy mustard base makes this one of the best-tasting HOT hot sauces on the market.

8. Walkerswood Traditional Jamaican Jerk Seasoning is the real deal when it comes to authentic Jamaican jerk wet rubs or paste. Intensely flavorful, aromatic and spicy, this is the jerk seasoning that those in the know turn to for genuine Jamaican jerk flavor.

9. Bone Suckin' Original Seasoning & Rub is made in North Carolina by the creators of Bone Suckin' Sauce. With its mouthwatering sweet-savory flavor and just a touch of feisty pepper, this dry rub is guaranteed to make bone-suckin' good ribs (beef or pork) and also tastes great on poultry and other meats.

10. El Yucateco Chipotle Hot Sauce completes our list of the top-ten best-selling sauces and products for June 2010. Made in Mexico, this robust hot sauce blends smoky chipotles with honey and spices for an amazingly good flavor that will enhance any Mexican, Southwestern or Tex-Mex dish.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Lip Lickin' Bold & Spicy BBQ Sauce

Hailing from Greensboro NC and made in the Piedmont (western NC) style that's found in that part of the state, Lip Lickin' Bold & Spicy BBQ Sauce is a tangy tomato & vinegar barbecue sauce that's great on everything from pulled pork BBQ and ribs to chicken and shrimp. There's no smoke flavor in this zesty sauce, and although the peppery kick is spicy-hot by North Carolina standards, most fiery-foods fan will consider it to be only mildly spicy -- which means this sauce can be enjoyed by all but the most delicate palates. With more body than eastern NC vinegar BBQ sauces, Lip Lickin' BBQ Sauce works well for basting and mopping as well as for dipping, marinating and finishing anything you grill, broil or bake. It's also a flavorful addition to recipes including meatloaf, sloppy joes, burgers and other ground meat dishes, plus baked beans, chili, collard greens and more. Stir some into your favorite vinegar or mayo-based slaw for lip-lickin' good red slaw! Or splash it on fried catfish, hushpuppies, popcorn shrimp, french fries and other fried foods to perk up the flavor. If you're health-conscious, you'll be pleased to learn that Lip Lickin' Sauce is all-natural, fat-free, and gluten-free. Lip Lickin' Bold & Spicy BBQ Sauce is currently on sale at the Carolina Sauce Company, so now's the time to give it a try!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria