This is the first edition of Uncle Pete's BBQ Sauce Newsletter and we would like to thank all of you who have been waiting very patiently! In our Newsletters we will attempt to give you tips, updates, new locations where our sauce is available, locations for demonstrations as well as shows, news from around the BBQ circuit and anything else pertaining to our sauce.

Be sure to keep an eye out for our Cyber Monday email with a great deal on Uncle Pete's! (On Cyber Monday ONLY - that's the Monday after Thanksgiving.)

The Story Behind Uncle Pete's (Part One)

First of all, we always are asked the same burning question wherever we attract a crowd. "How did Uncle Pete's BBQ Sauces come about?" We usually don't have enough time at the shows and demos to do our story justice, so for all those who have been asking/wondering, the following is our story.

To start with there really was an Uncle Pete - it is not a name we made up for the sauce. He was my great Uncle on my Father's side of the family and was a welder by trade. He would make his own barbecue pits out of 55 gallon drums long before the thought ever crossed Home Depot or Lowe's minds. He would cook his ribs and chicken the old school way - low and slow on his home-made pits. It was an all day ordeal that was more than worth the wait. He would baste the meats all day long after getting the temperatures just right, carefully watching so as not to burn, adding briquettes over time to keep the temperature constant and even taking the time to play his guitar for everyone (usually after the Q-ing was done!). Even the hamburgers and hot dogs for us kids were generously doused with Uncle Pete's BBQ Sauce.

Uncle Pete's BBQ Sauce was created three generations ago and has been handed down through the family over the years. Everyone would encourage Uncle Pete to bottle his flavorful sauce but he was more than happy to make enough so that you always went home with a jar.

When our friends would come over they would demand that I let them have some of Uncle Pete's BBQ Sauce - it was that good! We would use the sauce on everything - chips, crackers, vegetables and on bread for sandwiches. We have friends now that use it as a salad dressing and pour it over potatoes - mashed, fried, or baked - and then use it as a dip for French fries, tater tots and potato wedges.

Some great recipes have been sent in by our customers that we will share in each issue. The first one is today and is one of our favorites, Uncle Pete's Party Dip. One of the simplest and quickest recipes you have ever tasted and it is ready in less than five minutes!

Holiday Recipe: Uncle Pete's Party Dip

Here is one of our customer's favorite recipes, especially around the holidays when you don't have enough time to prepare something extravagant. This is a quick and simple recipe that everyone will love!

Uncle Pete's Party Dip
8 oz. Softened Cream Cheese
1/3-1/2 Cup Uncle Pete's Spicy BBQ Sauce
3 Tbsp. Finely Chopped Onion

Mix all ingredients together. Serve with crackers, chips or vegetables. Best if prepared at least 24 hours before serving.

Take to your next party with a vegetable tray and/or crackers and let the guests enjoy!

Where can you find Uncle Pete's this month?

November 21 - We will be at the Holiday Fair sponsored by the Upstate Woman's Club in Simpsonville this weekend. It is from 9am-3pm at the Simpsonville Activity Center, 310 West Curtis Street, Simpsonville, S.C. This event is open to the public with free admission.

December 3-5 - Holiday Fair at the Carolina First Center in Greenville. Booth #1409. Also, that Saturday we will have the Annual Greenville Saturday Market Holiday Special downtown Greenville from 9am-1pm. Come on out and see us, and pick up some great Christmas Gift Bags with your sauce purchase.

Also, check out the Supper Swap girls on Wednesday Dec. 2 talking about their favorite local Christmas Foodie gifts for the holidays, which just happens to include Uncle Pete's BBQ Sauces! The Supper Swap Girls Foodie Field Trips air every Wednesday after the channel 7 News @ Noon, usually about 12:23 pm.

Fun Facts about Barbecue

Although people have greatly expanded their cookout repertoire, and every part of the meal is now cooked on the grill, the foods that top the "cooked frequently" list have not changed much.

Fact: Outdoor chefs are becoming more familiar with woods, which are used to add smoke flavor, and while many woods are available, mesquite and hickory are the most frequent choices. Barbecue sauce is also a favorite way to enhance the flavor of foods cooked over the coals.

Fact: The most popular foods for the grill are hamburgers, steak, hot dogs and chicken breasts. Chicken parts, pork chops, ribs and sausages are also favorites.

Fact: Nine out of 10 barbecue grill owners always or sometimes use barbecue sauce when grilling and most buy sauce, sometimes adding their own ingredients

Fact: Favorite barbecue sauces are hickory, tomato-based, honey and mesquite. Mustard-based, oil-based and sweet and hot sauces are named less frequently. Basting during cooking is the number one use of sauces

Fact: About one in five barbecuers has used wood in the past year, with charcoal chefs using it most often. In addition to mesquite and hickory, oak and fruitwoods were woods of choice.

Information courtesy of the Barbecue Industry Association