Now I'm in the advertising business.

A few weeks ago, I had an intriguing email from an unknown entity named Al Malekovic. Apparently he had found my blog, and he had an interesting proposal for me. His company, Country Bob's, makes an assortment of sauces and seasonings, and he asked if I'd review his all-purpose sauce if he sent me some. Before I agreed, I did as much homework as I could, and I concluded that this was a legitimate offer. So I received my two bottles of Country Bob's All-Purpose Sauce and proceeded to incorporate the sauce into my cooking. The sauce is delicious. It's a combination barbecue/sweet 'n' sour sauce, with a kick. We've tried it on hamburgers, both during cooking and afterward, and on steak. Most recently, I made a batch of my sauteed mushrooms/onions/barely wilted spinach, and I stirred in some Country Bob's right before serving. YUM!! It really is all purpose. I may try it on chocolate cake next. Okay, that was a stretch, but I will definitely use it in lots of dishes.

The really neat part of all this is that Al and I emailed back and forth a bit, and he's a really cool guy. His company's motto is "Christ is our C.E.O.", which was enough for me to give him a chance, even though he was a perfect stranger. Well, he's a stranger no more, and if we're ever in the Centralia, IL area, we'll meet him in person.

Country Bob's products are widely available in grocery stores. You can check everything out, including a list of places to buy the products, at www.countrybobs.com.

Update 6/30/08: I just got back from Wal-Mart, and I found Country Bob's All-Purpose Sauce with the barbecue sauces and marinades. Good thing, because I'm almost ready to start pouring it over ice and drinking it. Last night I sauteed some shrimp with garlic and broccoli in olive oil, and right before serving, I dashed on a good bit of Country Bob's and stirred it in. It was delicious! My sister Alix has also blogged about this sauce, and she said there are bunches of recipes on the Country Bob's website. She said the meatloaf is to die for. I'm going to try it soon.