Gourmet Gifts for Mother's Day

If Mom loves to cook, or simply enjoys good food, here are five gourmet gifts for Mother's Day, which is coming up on Sunday May 9th:

1. For the Mom who loves to cook: The North Carolina Gourmet Gift Set features a delightful selection of 8 different NC sauces and seasonings, including an elegant vinaigrette dressing that's hand-made on the Outer Banks, a classic steak sauce from Greensboro NC, a robust Sicilian-style pasta sauce made from an old family recipe, several unique spice sauces for adding "zing" to savory and sweet dishes, and more... all for only $44!

2. For the Mom who loves sweet stuff: Our brand-new Sweet Gourmet Gift Set comes with 4 full-size jars of decadently delicious and all-natural apple and peach marmalades from the NC mountains, old-fashioned chunky apple sauce that tastes like apple pie without the crust, and sublimely addictive maple butter made from an old family recipe -- only $24.99!

3. If Mom loves hand-made artisan soaps, give her some unique, skin-soothing chili pepper soaps from New Mexico. No, they're not made with chili peppers and they *won't* burn her skin. Rather, these lovely soaps are made in the *shape* of chili peppers using natural oils and fragrances, and produce a luxurious lather to pamper your favorite Mom. Available in Red (cinnamon scent) and Green (lime scent) single chile soap bars for 4.50 each, or 5-soap "ristras" for $15

4. For the Mom who's "a little bit country" and enjoys farmer's markets and roadside fruit & veggie stands, check out our lovely Pepper Jelly Gift Boxes, featuring two jars of traditional pepper jelly that's hand-made on a family farm in the NC Mountains. Select from red and green pepper jellies, and mild and hot heat levels, to customize your gift just for her taste preference -- only $11.99 for a two-jar gift box!

5. Can't decide what to get Mom? Send her a Gift Certificate from the Carolina Sauce Company! That way she can shop to her heart's content and select *exactly* what she'd like for Mother's Day -- and our gift certificates never expire!

Personalize your Mother's Day gift with a FREE gift message that we'll print out and include in the package, and for only $5 we can gift-wrap your order. Don't wait too long, as Mother's Day is next Sunday!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

PS: For more tasty gift options at great prices, check out our entire selection of themed Gourmet Gift Sets & Gift Boxes, with something for every palate and price point

Spicy Shrimp Scampi

Today is National Shrimp Scampi Day, so I thought I'd share my hot and spicy version of this super-quick, simple and satisfying dish. Traditional shrimp scampi calls for shrimp, garlic, butter, parsley, and a splash of white wine and lemon juice, but variations are common. This recipe serves two and can be enjoyed with pasta or crusty bread or even rice, and something green like sauteed or steamed spinach or a tossed salad.

Ingredients
1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs butter
1 lb large shrimp, deveined and shelled but with tails left on
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 green onion, thinly sliced including green part
1/8 tsp (or more) red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 Tbs chopped parsley
1 Tbs dry white wine OR dry sherry (I use Busha Browne's Spicy Hot Pepper Sherry for extra zip)
1 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice

Heat the olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat until butter is melted. Add the shrimp, garlic, green onion, red pepper and oregano, and saute for a few minutes until shrimp turns pink. Remove from heat and stir in the parsley, wine or sherry, and lemon juice. Serve at once.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Lilly's Maple Butter Gift Box

Just in time for Mother's Day, Lilly's Gourmet Maple Butter is now available in a two-pack gift box from the Carolina Sauce Company! Lilly's Maple Butter is a decadently delicious, satiny-smooth spreadable maple butter that's made in North Carolina from an old family recipe using all-natural ingredients. If you enjoy the sweet flavor of real maple syrup, you will swoon when you taste Lilly's Gourmet Maple Butter. Not only is it divine on pancakes, waffles, biscuits, toast, croissants, bagels and stirred into hot cereal, but you can also heat it up and drizzle it over ice cream, cheesecake, bread pudding and other desserts. It's amazingly good with baked sweet potatoes, too, as well as in recipes for quick breads, cookies and more. I've been known to stir a little maple butter into my hot tea or coffee, and of course it's hard to stop eating straight from the jar.

If you're looking for a thoughtful and unique gourmet gift for Mother's Day, order the new Lilly's Gourmet Maple Butter Gift Box from Carolina Sauce, with two full-size 8oz jars nestled in our pretty white gift box for only $13.99 -- and we'll gift wrap it for you for only $5, and you can add a gift message for FREE!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

PS: Lilly's Maple Butter is also featured as one of four delectable treats in our new Sweet Gourmet Gift Set, and is also available by the jar.

Quick & Easy Peri-Peri Chicken Caesar Salad

This is my quick-n-easy adaptation of a deliciously spicy recipe created by the makers of Nando's Peri-Peri Sauces. The original has you make the croutons and Caesar dressing from scratch, which might not feasible when you're pressed for time or don't have all the ingredients handy. My version lets you use your favorite store-bought Caesar dressing and croutons, for a much simpler and faster meal. You can marinate the chicken that morning or overnight, or just start marinating in your refrigerator when you begin assembling and preparing the rest of the ingredients. This recipe serves 4 as main-course salads.

Ingredients
1 bottle of Nando's Hot Peri-Peri Marinade
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, each sliced into 3 thick strips
2 Romaine lettuces
A bottle of your favorite Caesar dressing
Crunchy croutons (plain or garlic work best)
Parmesan shavings or grated Parmesan as garnish
Freshly ground black pepper as garnish

Place the chicken strips into a large resealable plastic bag, pour in enough of the Peri-Peri Marinade to cover the chicken, then seal and shake the bag to coat the chicken, and place the bag in the refrigerator to marinate. You can do this as far in advance as the night before you plan on making the salads.

Wash the lettuce and shake off excess water (I use a salad spinner or pat the leaves dry with absorbent paper towels). Trim the ends and any tough ribs, and then chop width-wise into strips approximately 1/2 to 1 inch wide. Place the lettuce in a large bowl and set aside until ready to assemble (if more than a few minutes, I place the bowl in my fridge).

Remove chicken from bag and discard the bag with the used marinade. Cook either in a saute pan, under the broiler, or on your grill, using fresh marinade from the bottle to baste while cooking. When chicken is thoroughly cooked, remove from heat and take out the bowl of lettuce. Pour some Caesar dressing over the lettuce and add some of the croutons, and toss to coat the lettuce with dressing. Divide among 4 large plates or pasta bowls, top each with hot chicken and remaining croutons, and garnish with Parmesan cheese and black pepper to taste.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

PS: For a less fiery-hot but still very flavorful alternative, use Nando's Peri-Peri BBQ Marinade instead of the Hot Marinade.

Mustard Coupon for National Pretzel Day!

Today is National Pretzel Day! Whether you prefer the big soft pretzels sold by street vendors and found at sporting events, or the small crunchy ones you buy in bags at convenience and grocery stores, chances are you enjoy your pretzels dipped in or slathered with mustard. If so, you are in luck: In honor of National Pretzel Day, the Carolina Sauce Company is holding a one-day-only coupon sale on all mustards! Simply use the coupon code "Pretzel2010" (without the quotation marks) to get 10% off any and all mustards, including mustard gift boxes and our already-discounted Mustard Gift Set, which features 5 full-size bottles of some of our most popular mustards. There's no minimum purchase required - just make sure you enter the coupon code Pretzel2010 in the coupon field found on the billing page when you order online, OR mention the coupon code if you order by phone (919-286-1080). But don't dilly-dally, as this special coupon is good ONLY on National Pretzel Day 2010, which is TODAY April 26, 2010!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

PS: If you're looking to try a new mustard that's packed with zesty flavor and is great on sandwiches, hot dogs, pretzels and more, I recommend Trolly Stop Hot Mustard, a local favorite from Wilmington NC that's virtually impossible to find outside the NC coast.

New Gift Boxes for Operation Sauce Drop!

Thanks to the generosity of two North Carolina specialty-foods businesses, Operation Sauce Drop now has two new gift boxes available for FREE to US troops serving abroad. The first new gift box is the Spicy Salsa Gift Box, which comes with two 16oz jars of fiery and flavorful Pepper Dog Salsas from Pepper Dog Brands. Troops can choose to receive two jars of Hot Salsa or two jars of Salsa Verde or 1 jar of each. The second new gift box is the Spicy Grilling Sauce Gift Box, which comes with two full-size jars of the feisty tomato-rich Southern Twang Hot Grilling Sauce from Jodeco Foods, PLUS gorgeous full-color recipe cards with easy ideas for delicious meals.

With all Operation Sauce Drop gift boxes, any US service member with an APO or FPO address can request a free gift box of his or her choice, and the Carolina Sauce Company will ship it to them at absolutely NO cost to them. This nonprofit program is funded by donations from people like you who donate to Operation Sauce Drop or who Shop to Support Operation Sauce Drop, through product donations from companies like Pepper Dog, Jim's Own BBQ, and Jodeco Foods, and through the Carolina Sauce Company's donation of funds and administrative/logistical assitance. To date, Operation Sauce Drop has sent free gift boxes of sauce to over 900 troops serving overseas, and their thank-you notes and photos show how much our brave servicemen and women appreciate this little token of support.

Want to help send a taste of home to our troops? Please make a donation or shop to support OSD where some or all of your purchase amount goes into the OSD fund. Can't spare a buck or two but still want to help? Then please spread the word about Operation Sauce Drop by telling your friends, Tweeting about the program, and posting a banner link on Facebook, your website, blog etc. The troops will thank you for your thoughtfulness and support!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Carolina Sauce Co. Mixed Hot Pepper Rings

If you like to pile on the hot peppers at your neighborhood deli or favorite sandwich shop, you're going to love our brand-new Mixed Hot Pepper Rings. Made in small batches on a family farm in the North Carolina mountains, this feisty condiment feaatures a variety of locally grown green, red and yellow hot peppers which are pickled according to an old-fashioned "bread and butter" recipe using only natural ingredients, for mouthwatering sweet-tangy flavor and fiery heat. The first time I tasted these mixed hot pepper rings, I couldn't stop eating them straight from the jar. So I am thrilled to be able to offer them under the Carolina Sauce Company brand name, and to share them with you and other zesty-foods fans all over the country.

You can enjoy our Mixed Hot Pepper Rings like you would any pickle or spicy condiment: In subs, sandwiches and wraps, on burgers, patty melts and hot dogs, with sausage and other grilled meats, chopped and added to tuna, chicken, potato or egg salad, mixed into three-bean salad or tossed on green salads, and even on nachos and with Tex-Mex dishes like burritos, quesadillas, fajitas and more. Greg likes to add them to omelets, especially really cheesy ones, and I also use these pickled hot pepper rings as a condiment for scrambled eggs and frittatas. I haven't tried them on pizza yet, but I bet that would work. Heck, they'd probably make a great addition to tartar sauce and cocktail sauce for fried seafood, too!

Carolina Sauce Co. Mixed Hot Pepper Rings come in an old-fashioned Mason pint jar, and are currently on sale for only $4.99 for a 16oz jar. Better hurry and order yourself some, before I eat all the inventory!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Bubba's Shakshuka

Shakshuka is a spicy eggs & tomato dish enjoyed in Israel for breakfast as well as for dinner, when it's often served with bread and a salad or other green side dish. Here is my version, with a Southern twist thanks to Bubba's Special Sauce from Alabama. This recipe serves 4 (one egg each) or 2 (two eggs each).

Ingredients
1 Tbs olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 to 1/3 chopped sweet onion, such as Vidalia(R)
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 jar (9oz) Bubba's Special Sauce
4 eggs
Salt to taste, if desired

Heat the oil in a deep skillet. Add the garlic and onion and saute a few minutes until soft. Add the tomato and saute a few more minutes until the tomato starts to break down. Add the Bubba's Special Sauce and salt to taste (if using), and saute for about 5 minutes over medium heat until the sauce is hot. Break the eggs one by one into the sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the egg whites are set (about 5 to 7 minutes), or to your desired doneness. Remove skillet from heat and serve immediately.

Zestfully yours,
Gloria

Sweet Gourmet Gift Set

If you have a sweet tooth, or need a unique and delicious gift for someone who does, check out our newest Gift Set from the Carolina Sauce Company, our delightfully decadent Sweet Gourmet Gift Set! This gift set features a full-size jar of each of the following:

*Mullen's Apple Sauce, made from an old family recipe using a variety of apples, sugar and a touch of cinnamon and spice, just like Grandma used to make, and with a wonderfully thick and chunky consistency that makes this apple sauce perfect on its own or with pancakes, ice cream, cheesecake, and even as a side dish for pork and other savory dishes or on its own straight from the jar

*Lilly's Gourmet Maple Butter, another old family recipe that you can spread on biscuits, toast, pancakes or waffles, stir into oatmeal and other hot cereals, heat and drizzle over ice cream, or even in recipes for quick breads and cookies

*Mrs. Picky Fanicky's Zesty Peach Cocktail MmmMarmalade, made in the NC mountains using succulent, sun-ripened peaches plus pineapple and spices for some tropical flair. Makes a sublime filling for peach cobbler, a topping for pancakes and cheesecake, and a quick snack or appetizer when poured over softened cream cheese and served with crackers

*Mrs. Picky Fanicky's Apple Pie MmmMarmalade, also from the NC mountains and a blue-ribbon winner at the NC State Fair, one taste and you'll agree that this old-fashioned apple marmalade tastes like apple pie in a jar -- and it comes with a FREE recipe ideas card, as does the Peach Cocktail MmmMarmalade

All four mouthwatering treats in our Sweet Gourmet Gift Set are made with the finest all-natural ingredients and absolutely NO high fructose corn syrup (no HFCS), so you can feel good while indulging yourself. And it makes a great gourmet gift for Mother's Day at only $24.99!

Zestfully yours,
Gloria