Whole-grain Buttermilk Cornbread

Did you know that most cornmeal sold in the US is a whole grain? Stone-ground yellow cornmeal contains some of the hull and germ in addition to the corn endosperm, giving it more flavor and nutritional value than steel-ground cornmeal, as well as a coarser texture. Blue cornmeal, which is ground from whole blue corn kernels, likewise is a nutritious whole grain but it can be difficult to find.

My whole grain buttermilk cornbread recipe uses stone ground yellow cornmeal and whole wheat flour instead of the usual white flour in order to maximize nutrition without sacrificing flavor. This recipe probably works just as well if you use blue cornmeal instead of yellow, but the color may be somewhat odd. If you've ever used blue cornmeal in a cornbread, please leave a comment to let us know how it turned out -- and please also leave a photo if you have one!

My recipe is an adaptation of the traditional buttermilk cornbread recipe from the 1970 cookbook Our Daily Bread by Stella Standard. Although I usually make and prefer to eat savory rather than sweet cornbread, this one has a delightfully mellow sweetness that's complementary, not cloying. It is very moist with a somewhat crumbly texture, at least when baked in a ceramic pan rather than a cast-iron skillet. And although I didn't add hot peppers to this recipe, there's no reason not to add some diced jalapenos or other spicy chilies if you  want a hot and spicy cornbread.

Ingredients
2 eggs, well-beaten

2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tsp salt
2 cups stone-ground yellow cornmeal
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup fresh-cut or frozen & thawed corn kernels

Preheat oven to 375°F, and grease an 8"x11" baking dish (the original recipe recommends dusting it with flour after greasing, but I didn't do that). Place the first four ingredients in a bowl and stir well to combine thoroughly. In a large bowl combine the cornmeal, flour and baking powder -- the original recipe recommends sifting but I didn't and instead simply stirred well to thoroughly mix together. Stir the liquid ingredients into the dry, then add the brown sugar & corn kernels and stir until thoroughly combined. Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake at 375°F until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 45 minutes or longer depending on your oven. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria
Carolina Sauce Company

Calavera Hot Sauce: Scary-Hot & Perfect for Halloween

Add "hot sauce" to your list of scary Halloween props.

Calavera Hot Sauce's intense and unrelenting burn is as frightening and dangerous as any Halloween ghoul. Made from the two hottest pepper varieties on the planet -- India's bhut jolokia (aka naga jolokia or ghost pepper) and Trinidad's moruga scorpion chili -- this ultra-hot sauce doesn't need any artificial extracts or added capsaicin oil to boost its firepower any further. Please trust me when I tell you that all you will need to add searing heat to any dish is a micro-droplet from a toothpick. And if you are going to use Calavera in a recipe, please start off with just one or two drops first, to let you get a good sense of its unforgiving intensity before you risk scorching the taste buds off your tongue or destroying your digestive system.

If the preceding description has scared you away from actually eating Calavera hot sauce, please don't let it deter you from buying it: Its colorful "death's head" label makes it an eye-catching, novel and very appropriate Halloween decoration, especially if you're hosting a Halloween party.

For those of you who are experienced with super-hot hot sauces and enjoy them on food and in recipes, you'll be interested in knowing that Calavera is more than just another scary-hot sauce. In addition to the jolokia and scorpion peppers, which happen to be the main two ingredients in this caustic condiment, Calavera is made with other natural ingredients including tomato, onion, garlic and other vegetables plus black pepper and chili powder to enhance and broaden the layers of heat. All of this is blended in a tangy two-vinegar base (cider and distilled), with a squeeze or two of lemon juice for a hint of bright citrus. In short, this extreme hot sauce scores well on flavor as well as fire.

Buy Calavera Hot Sauce online while it's on sale at the Carolina Sauces online store -- but don't delay; if you want to have this hot sauce in time for Halloween, be sure to order today!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

PS:  For more Halloween Hot Sauces, please browse our selection of Holiday Hot Sauces. 

Can You Help Me with this Low-Carb Gluten-Free Recipe?

Introducing my Zesty Summer Squash Fritters & Balls!

These flavorful morsels make a great snack, appetizer or side dish, and they're very low carb, gluten-free and relatively high in protein, too. You fry them in just a bit of oil or you can form them into little balls and bake them for an even healthier treat.

Sounds great, right?

This recipe has a problem.

Sure, it tastes delicious, looks pretty decent and is high protein/low carb/gluten-free -- and I'd like it to stay that way.

The problem is, it produces a big soupy mess when you combine the ingredients, making it very hard to form into fritters or balls for frying or baking.

One obvious solution would be to add some flour, bread crumbs or cracker meal, as one normally would when making fritters. But that makes them verboten for anyone who cannot or does not eat wheat or other traditional grain flours, even gluten-free versions.

Another idea I had after making my summer squash fritters was to combine the shredded zucchini and yellow squash with just the barbecue rub and not the other ingredients, let that sit for 30 minutes and then squeeze out & drain off any liquid. This idea is based on the assumption that the rub is extracting the liquid out of the squash, the way salt does with eggplant when you salt it before cooking. But if I use this method with the BBQ seasoning, my concern is that I would drain off much of the flavor that comes from the rub and end up with very bland fritters.

So, dear readers, can you help me improve this recipe without adding flour or other refined carbs?

Here's the current version -- if you have any suggestions or ideas, please share in a comment below:

Ingredients
3 cups shredded zucchini and/or yellow squash (I used 2 small of each)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup finely chopped sweet red pepper (you can substitute finely chopped red hot pepper, e.g., ripe jalapeno, for some of the sweet pepper)
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 Tbs BBQ dry rub (I used Jim's Own Pincho Rub)
Optional: A little oil for frying

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Note: At this point, the mixture began becoming more and more watery or "soupy," and as I formed the fritters and balls I had to squeeze out and drain off quite a lot of liquid, making the mixture harder to work with (see photo below on left -- and that was just the beginning of the problem).

If frying the fritters: Pour just a little bit of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, carefully place the fritters in the pan, leaving enough space between them so that you can turn them over with a spatula. Fry for several minutes until they have set and no longer look wet on top (you can partially cover the skillet to assist in the cooking), then carefully turn the fritters over to fry the other side: They should be at least golden brown on both sides. When done, transfer to paper towels to absorb any excess oil.

If baking the fritters or balls: Preheat oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place fritters or balls on lined sheet, leaving some space between each fritter or ball. Bake at 375°F until golden and cooked through, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Serve hot with or without a dipping sauce:  Good choices include barbecue sauce, ranch dressing (especially if homemade), steak sauce, or even ketchup.

Now that you've read the recipe, and ideally given it a try yourself, please let me know what you'd add or change to solve the excess-liquid problem.

Thanks in advance, and I look forward to reading your comments and trying your suggestions. Whoever comes up with the "winning fix" for this recipe will get credit for it and special mention in a future blog post!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria 

October Giveaway: Free BBQ Rub from Jim's Own!

During October, our partner Jim's Own Sauce is giving away FREE packages of their savory, sassy Pincho BBQ Rub!

Jim's Own Pincho Rub is a robust, all-purpose barbecue seasoning rub that's named after the Spanish word for "skewer." Earthy, spicy and savory not sweet, this feisty blend of paprika, garlic, oregano, parsley and other natural ingredients is fantastic on all sorts of meats and poultry, from traditional BBQ favorites like ribs, brisket and chicken to venison, pork chops and all types of burgers. It's also a great choice for shrimp, fish and vegetables. You can also use it indoors in chili or with roasted or broiled foods and even as a seasoning for blackening because it won't burn (there's no sugar in this rub). And of course it's a natural choice for kabobs and anything on a skewer! Simply pat some Pincho Rub on your food and marinate in the refrigerator: Overnight or several hours for red meats, up to 1 to 2 hours for poultry, and no more than 30 minutes to 1 hour for fish, seafood and vegetables.

Jim's Own is one of North Carolina's best-loved and successful lines of barbecue sauces and seasoning rubs. Each month through November, the makers of these award-winning barbecue sauces and BBQ rubs are giving away a different flavor of one of their tasty and versatile dry rubs with every online order of Jim's Own products over $25 (excluding shipping/taxes). October's flavor is the Pincho Rub, and you'll get a free full-size package as this month's giveaway, to thank you for your business.

If you want a FREE full-size package of Jim's Own Pincho Rub, simply place an online order for over $25 in Jim's Own products (exclusive of shipping & taxes). Click here to order. Our friends at Jim's Own will include the free package of this zesty, Mexican-inspired barbecue rub together with the items in your order.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Vegan Recipe: Roasted Butternut & Carrot Soup with Cashew Cream

My roasted butternut squash and carrot soup is so sumptuously creamy that no one will know it's vegetarian -- vegan, in fact -- unless you tell them. The luxuriously rich mouthfeel comes from the roasted and pureed cashews.

If you're aiming for maximum velvety smoothness, it's essential that you puree everything thoroughly. For a more rustic texture as shown in the photo, I recommend processing the cashews separately until the consistency of homemade peanut butter and pureeing the vegetables to your desired smoothness.

Roasting enhances the natural sweetness of the winter squash and the carrots, while the curry powder adds a subtle spice flavor without making this soup taste "Indian." If you do want more of an Indian style flavor, add an additional 1/2 tsp or more of curry powder, and you can use ghee instead of the final addition of oil if you are not vegan. Because Greg and I enjoy hot and spicy food, I used 1/4 teaspoon of red (cayenne) pepper, which gave the soup a solid peppery heat that I'd rate towards the hotter end of "medium." For a gentler, only mildly spicy soup, cut the amount of cayenne in half, or even reduce to just a pinch or so. The soup should be pleasantly zippy to your taste, not painfully hot.

If you are not vegetarian, you can use chicken broth instead of vegetable stock, or finish with a little cream or half-and-half for additional richness, or top with a dollop of sour cream or creme fraiche. Other attractive garnishes include a few roasted chopped cashews and roughly-chopped fresh parsley.

This recipe does take time, mainly for roasting, and some effort (e.g., chopping, pureeing) but it is well worth it both in terms of taste and appearance. You can refrigerate and reheat leftovers, too -- the recipe makes 4 to 6 servings.

Ingredients
1 butternut squash, about 1 to 1 1/2 lbs
2 or 3 carrots, about 1/2 lbs
1 large sweet onion
15 to 20 peeled cloves of garlic (i.e., one medium head if you count the cloves)
Olive oil
1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped cashews
1 tsp curry powder
2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup white wine
1/8 to 1/4 tsp red pepper or ground cayenne
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbs very finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp (or to taste) salt

Preheat oven to 400°F. Peel the squash using a potato peeler, halve lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and chop the squash into chunks. Trim and peel the carrots, then chop into large chunks. Peel and trim the onion, quarter it then cut each quarter in half. Combine all of these vegetables in a large bowl together with the garlic, drizzle with olive oil and toss or stir with large spoon to coat all the vegetables evenly with the oil. Spread the vegetables in a single layer in a large, lightly oiled baking pan. Roast until the vegetables are very soft but be careful not to brown -- this will take about an hour or longer depending on your oven, and you will want to stir after 20 or 30 minutes and at least 1 or 2 more times afterwards to ensure even cooking (you might also have to reduce the temperature a little if the vegetables are turning golden before they're fork-tender).

While the vegetables are roasting, spread the cashew pieces in a small skillet or frying pan that's safe to heat without oil or liquid. Dry-roast the cashews over medium heat, stirring every few minutes and keeping a close eye as soon as they begin to darken because they can go from golden to burnt in seconds. When the cashews are golden and fragrant, remove from heat and set aside to cool.

When the vegetables are tender and lightly golden, you're ready to start pureeing them in your blender or food processor, most likely in batches unless your machine is very large:  Transfer up to half of the roasted vegetables and cashews into your blender or processor, add some of the stock (1/2 to 1 cup) and puree to your desired smoothness. Repeat until all the vegetables and cashews have been pureed. If working in batches, have a large bowl or pot to pour the pureed batches into until all the vegetables have been processed -- or do what I did and simply pour into the original roasting pan, after draining out any remaining oil into the soup pot or Dutch oven that you'll be using to finish making the soup.

If you had any oil left in your roasting pan, drain this into a large soup pot or a Dutch oven -- you want about 1 Tablespoon of oil total. Heat over medium heat, add curry powder and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Stir in the pureed soup, any remaining stock, and the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a low simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste for balance and adjust the seasonings if desired (e.g., adding more salt, cayenne or cinnamon).

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Lynyrd Skynyrd Habanero Hot Sauce is Here!

"FREE BIRD!!!!!"

If you're a born and bred Southerner with a love for spicy food, or if you're a fan of classic Southern rock and particularly of the band Lynyrd Skynyrd, this announcement will rock your world and your taste buds:

The Carolina Sauces online store is now YOUR source for the one and only Lynyrd Skynyrd Habanero Hot Sauce!

On the other hand, if you find the confederate flag to be offensive to your more refined, politically correct and "socially conscious" sensibilities, then feel free to stop reading and move on to one of my vegetarian recipes.

Lynyrd Skynyrd Hot Sauce is loud and proud, just like its namesake's music. Made from simple, all-natural ingredients for honest habanero heat without any distracting additives like fancy spices, sissy sweetness or fruitiness, this straight-shooting hot sauce isn't shy or receding in flavor or appearance (yes, that's the old Stars and Bars on the label).

Use this bold and savory all-purpose hot sauce anytime you want to add some heat to your food without changing its flavor. It's great at the table on everything from breakfast (eggs any style, hash browns, even grits and especially in red-eye gravy) to lunch (sandwiches, burgers, pizza, fast-food, etc.) and dinner (anything grilled, smoked, baked, fried, broiled, slow-cooked or served raw, and on takeout of course). You can use it in any recipe that calls for hot sauce or that could use a spicy wake-up call: Chili, meatloaf, homemade hot wings, your secret BBQ sauce recipe, rice & beans, on nachos, in dips, with Mexican or Cajun favorites, in spaghetti sauce and more.

Buy Lynyrd Skynyrd Hot Sauce while it's on sale -- it's a unique gift idea, too!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

A Healthier Garlic Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

My first taste of homemade ranch dressing was a revelatory experience: The clean, bright tang of the buttermilk, the fresh and honest herbal notes, the earthy pungency of the garlic and the naturally creamy, not-too-thick and not-too-runny mouthfeel was truly magnificent and eye-opening. I will never go back to bottled supermarket ranch dressing again.

Homemade buttermilk ranch dressing tastes best if you make it ahead of time, ideally the day before you want to use it but in any event at least a few hours beforehand. This allows the flavors to come together and develop, and also takes the "edge" off the raw garlic.

I developed this recipe after researching dozens of different buttermilk salad dressing recipes in cookbooks and online, many of which use quite a bit of sour cream and/or mayonnaise or "cheater's" ingredients like a packet of commercial dry dressing mix. I chose to go the natural, from-scratch route that kept high-fat ingredients to a minimum.

Despite its name, real buttermilk is naturally low in fat. Its thick body comes from the bacterial cultures in the milk, which also create the tang. So to keep the fat content of my dressing naturally low without sacrificing texture or flavor, I used real organic buttermilk, organic nonfat plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, and as little organic mayonnaise as I could get away with. If you can afford the organic ingredients, I highly recommend them for the best flavor.

My homemade ranch dressing has a zesty garlic flavor that's quite appealing if you love garlic. If you'd rather have a mellower, more traditional buttermilk ranch dressing that's not as garlicky, use only 1 small clove of minced garlic. For a delightfully cheesy, Italian-inspired Parmesan Ranch dressing, simply add 1/4 cup (or more to taste) of real grated Parmigiano cheese and 1/4 to 1/2 tsp dried oregano.

The one drawback to fresh, homemade ranch dressing is that it should be used within 3 to 4 days, at least according to what I've read. But it's fantastic on much more than mere salad: Try it on baked potatoes, as a seafood sauce, as a dip for raw vegetables or hot wings or fried appetizers, and even with potato chips or pretzels.

Ingredients
1 cup buttermilk*
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 Tbs finely chopped fresh parsley (or 1 Tbs dried parsley)
2 Tbs nonfat Greek yogurt
2 tsp white wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp (or to taste) Kosher salt
1/4 tsp (or to taste) ground pepper
1/4 tsp dried dill (or up to 1 tsp fresh dill)

*I don't recommend "low fat" buttermilk, i.e., buttermilk that has been labeled reduced- or low-fat, because it has only slightly less fat than real buttermilk and for best results you need to use the real thing in this recipe. I do recommend shaking the container of buttermilk before measuring out 1 cup for this recipe.

Place all ingredients in a pint mason jar, cover tightly with lid and shake vigorously until thoroughly combined. Taste for balance and add a little more salt or pepper if desired, or even a little more vinegar if not tangy enough or a touch more mayo or yogurt for a thicker, less tangy dressing (remember that the flavors will come together and round out with a few hours). Refrigerate for at least a few hours, and ideally overnight.  Use within 3 to 4 days.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

PS: If you enjoy the tangy flavor and crispy crunch of Ranch-flavored potato chips or nacho chips, but prefer a healthier snack that's extremely low in carbs and isn't loaded with artificial ingredients, try Deano's Ranch Jalapeno Chips, made from real sliced jalapeno peppers instead of potatoes or corn!

September's Best-Selling Products at Carolina Sauce

September brought a surprising amount of turmoil on our monthly list of Best-Selling Sauces & Seasonings at the Carolina Sauce Company. Although many of the "usual suspects" in the top five still made the cut, there were a few notable first-timers on the top ten list for last month.

Here's the complete list of September's top ten products, along with a little bit of information on each one to tempt your tastebuds and whet your appetite. To find out more, or to place an order, simply click on the product name or its photo.

1. Wells Hog Heaven BBQ Sauce: North Carolina is known for its pulled pork BBQ and the unique vinegar barbecue sauce that's found throughout the state either with tomatoes in the West or without tomatoes (just vinegar, pepper and spices) in the East. Well's is the quintessential Eastern NC vinegar barbecue sauce, and also our top-selling product of all time. In addition to providing that unmistakeable vinegar tang that complements the smoky flavor of pulled pork, you can also use it as a marinade for chicken or even splashed into collards or on crisp-fried catfish.

2. Matouk's Calypso Sauce: Made in Trinidad & Tobago using pickled scotch bonnet peppers blended with island spices and cane sugar in a rich mustard base, this hot sauce brings genuine West Indian flavor and spice to any savory dish. Use it at the table or in recipes for chicken, meats, fish, seafood, vegetables, rice & beans, etc.

3. Walkerswood Scotch Bonnet Pepper Hot Sauce: Jamaica is the land of fiery scotch bonnet peppers, which are closely related to the habanero and provide the heat in jerk sauces and seasonings. This all-purpose scotch bonnet sauce from Jamaica's best-known sauce company is the real deal, delivering the chili pepper's distinctive burn and bright flavor in a straightforward vinegar base. But don't limit this hot sauce to tropical fare, because its pure peppery flavor will complement anything you'd use a hot sauce on, from pizza to scrambled eggs to hot wings and more.

4. Scorned Woman Hot Sauce: This baby gets its name from the famous Shakespeare line, and its scorching burn is indeed furious. Made using several different chili peppers as well as black pepper, and with a savory tang, Scorned Woman is another reliable and versatile choice when you're craving real peppery heat and not some sorry, watered down, overly vinegary excuse of a "hot" sauce from a supermarket.

5. Matouk's Flambeau Hot Sauce: As the name suggests, Flambeau is the hottest of the original Matouk's hot sauces. The primary ingredient is an incendiary pepper mash made from aged choice Scotch Bonnet peppers specifically chosen for their incredible heat. But this super-hot West Indian hot sauce is also about great flavor, and there are no extracts or artificial heat enhancers in Matouk's Flambeau. That means you'll enjoy a clean, natural flavor without any metallic or "off" notes that extracts can bring, but with just as powerful a peppery punch.

6. **TIE** Melinda's Black Pepper Ketchup and Endorphin Rush Hot Sauce both finished in a dead heat for sixth place, but these two products couldn't be more different. Melinda's Ketchup is a grown-up, sophisticated but nevertheless food-friendly version of your overly-sweet childhood favorite. Made from all-natural ingredients and no high fructose corn syrup, this elegant ketchup gets its pleasantly piquant zip from cracked black peppercorns. I bet you never imagined you could experience fine-dining finesse from a ketchup even when you're chowing down on hamburgers and fries. In contrast, Endorphin Rush is a brazen and brash blast of unadulterated and unforgiving FIRE that will burn you out if you're not extremely careful. More than a micro-droplet will overwhelm served food, so we recommend using this legendary extract-spiked ultra-hot sauce only when cooking, and even then in very small quantities at a time until you get a feel for the heat level. And in case you're wondering, Endorphin Rush is indeed hot enough to produce a heart-racing, face-flushing, sweat-producing and mind-blowing rush of endorphins that serious chiliheads find to be quite exhilarating and even addictive. You've been warned....

7. Marie Sharp's BEWARE Hot Sauce (10oz) is making its first appearance on our top-ten list of best-selling hot sauces. Probably the hottest of Marie's habanero hot sauces from Belize, the lead ingredient in this fiendish creation is capsicum oil, the very substance responsible for the searing heat of habanero peppers. As with any extreme hot sauce, use discretion and the utmost care when handling this one. In addition to the 10-oz bottle, the Carolina Sauces website also offers Marie Sharp's Beware in traditional 5-oz bottles and an adorable but powerful, and conveniently giftable, plastic mini-bottle.

8. Jim's Own BBQ Sauce & Rubs: Best known for its award-winning western NC style (vinegar with tomatoes) barbecue sauces, Jim's Own also makes a mustard barbecue sauce inspired by the flavors of South Carolina, as well as an all-American smoky-sweet BBQ sauce that's perfect for slathering on ribs and chicken. Jim's Own also several different varieties of BBQ dry rubs and seasoning blends, including the delightfully exotic yet approachable Safari Rub inspired by the spices and herbs used in South African barbecue.

9. Smokehouse Wood Chips & Chunks: Did you know that you can buy wood chips, chunks, planks and pellets for BBQ smokers and grills on our website? Last month the Smokehouse brand proved popular. Among the varieties of wood chips and chunks they offer are traditional hickory, bright cherry, mellow apple, robust mesquite and even mild alder, a favorite in the Pacific Northwest for salmon and other fish.

10. Ahrun's Zombie Boogie Pineapple Habanero BBQ Sauce: Festive tropical flavors and scary habanero heat pair perfectly together in this zombie-themed hot barbecue sauce available through our partner Insane Chicken. Wonderful on pork chops, ribs, grilled chicken, shrimp & veggie kabobs, and with other grilled fare, it's fabulously delicious even if you're not into zombies (although it makes a fun and flavorful gift for zombie fans who appreciate good barbecue sauce with a spicy kick).

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

October Crock Pot Game: Who Wants to Win FREE Sauces?

It's time for our monthly Facebook Giveaway!

<=== This month we're giving away a Prize Pack with the following sauces, shown in the photo on the left:

•  A full-size (17oz) bottle of fiery-hot Jerk BBQ sauce, packed with big, boisterous island flavors that will jazz up all types of meats (beef, pork, venison, lamb, goat & more), poultry (chicken, turkey, guinea hens, waterfowl, etc.), shrimp and other seafood, and even vegetables like oven-roasted potatoes, grilled portobellos, veggie kabobs, summer squash...


• A full-size (5oz) bottle of Jamaican fish & meat sauce: This is a savory, food-friendly table condiment and cooking sauce that's got a full rich flavor with a sweet touch. Made with all-natural ingredients including tomatoes, mangoes, hot peppers and Jamaican pimento aka allspice. Enjoy it as a tropical steak sauce, a dipping sauce for ribs or shrimp, or even on burgers instead of ketchup!


• A mini-bottle of the award-winning Dimples BBQ Sauce from North Carolina. Unlike your typical thin and vinegary NC barbecue sauce that's best used for pulled pork and little else, Dimples is thick and tomato-sweet, making it wonderful with ribs, chicken, brisket, burgers and even baked beans. Big on flavor but mild on spice, this is a great all-American and all-purpose barbeque sauce the whole family will enjoy.

One lucky person will win this Prize Pack, and the winner will be selected by random drawing shortly after 3pm EDT on Thursday October 3rd.

To be eligible to win, here's all you have to do:

1. Like us on Facebook, then look for the October 1st Crock Pot Game "pinned" post with this photo of our Crock Pot  ===>


2. Once you find our October 1st Crock Pot Game post, leave a Comment there telling us what's your favorite kind of BBQ, and that will automatically enter you in our drawing for the Prize Pack. You can also enter the drawing by "Liking" that same post (maximum number of entries per person is 2:  One for commenting and one for Liking the post). Game ends at 3pm EDT on Thursday, October 3rd.


3. To be eligible to win, you must have a US shipping address. If you have an APO or FPO military address, or if you're in Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Guam or other similar location with a valid US address, you are eligible!

Any questions? Simply email me, leave a comment below, or contact me on the Carolina Sauce Facebook page.

Good luck, and have fun!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria