Hot Squeeze business means a lot of travel and flying north in the winter is always risky - but who knew I’d be caught up in one of the winters worst snowstorms.

I took off on Monday, flying to Boston for a show with one of my distributors - Davidson’s Specialty Foods. I landed but my suitcase didn’t. Packed in my bag were my tools of the trade - a griddle, a couple pounds of sliced ham and havarti cheese and Hot Squeeze (and my clothes!) Strike number one - luggage arrives at 3am, me, no sleep.

On Tuesday morning I appear bright and early at my booth and find that my shipper sent for the show has been “misplaced”. Not to be deterred, I heat up my griddle and grill up some yummy grilled cheese sandwiches with Hot Squeeze and entice all the Stop & Shop buyers over. Meantime the weather reports in Boston are going from bad to worse and then comes the announcement that they are going to cancel the next 2 days of the show. Stike Two!

Immediately I get on the phone with United to try and schedule a flight out of Boston. No luck - all flights cancelled!

So three days later, I finally make it out of Boston - caught up with the 10’s of thousands of other passengers caught up in the winterstorms. But not to worry my Hot Squeeze friends! I kept myself entertained! I hung our with my new pals from food company Annie Chun’s and Hormel, I played a bit at the Foxwood’s Casino and Resort in CT, and I met a great group of men heading off to a year of active duty in Afghanistan.

And at the end of all of this, what do I arrive home to?? SNOW in Atlanta! Glad to be home to my family and after a beautiful walk in the snow, I made this perfect belly-warming soup — Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup.

Creamy Chicken and Tortilla Soup
1 TBS olive oil
1 med. onion chopped
1 TBS ground cumin
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 10oz. can Rotel diced tomatoes with chilies - mild
1 10oz. can corn
6 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup half & half
1/4 cup Hot Squeeze
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar
4 cups shredded chicken
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 avocado diced
10 corn tortillas - sliced into strips and toasted in 2 TBS olive oil until crisp.

Saute onion in oil, add ground cumin, add stock, tomatoes, corn and Hot Squeeze and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add 1/2 and 1/2, chicken and grated cheese and simmer 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve in bowls with chopped cilantro, corn tortilla strips, diced avocado and swirl of Hot Squeeze.

The Super Bowl is right around the corner, so we want to help you get ready for your party! Say goodbye to boring chips and dip, and check out these new and exciting Hot Squeeze Super Bowl Recipes provided by Black Tie Barbecue!

Hot Squeeze Charcoal-Grilled Chicken Wings: A sweet twist on chicken wings
Hot Squeeze Meatballs: Perfect for big crowds. Just stick with a toothpick, and serve!
Hot Squeeze Grilled Salmon: This recipe is so simple! Your guests with be very impressed.
Hot Squeeze-Style Grilled Shrimp: Also great for large crowds, these shrimp skewers will be a touchdown with your guests!
Hot Squeeze Pork Chops: A great new twist on a classic!

A special thanks to Black Tie BBQ for sharing these delicious recipes! Check them out at www.blacktiebarbecue.com

Sue and Darrell Miles, owner of Mayberry on Main

Originally uploaded by TheHotSqueeze

Please tell us a little bit about yourself, your store, and what you do.

My wife Debbie and I own MAYBERRY ON MAIN - a unique retail shop in the heart of Mayberry - Mount Airy, NC. We are big Mayberry fans and moved to Mount Airy - Andy Griffith’s Hometown - from Southern Indiana to open our shop. I have a Darrel’s Wall of Flame that I sell hot sauces etc which is my passion. We also sell Mayberry souvenirs and tin signs etc.

How did you find out about Hot Squeeze?
Chili Pepper Magazine

Why do you love Hot Squeeze?
We find that some people can’t handle the extreme heat - Hot Squeeze is something everyone can use and eat. It adds such good flavor to everything and we encourage people to experiment with it and add Hot Squeeze instead of salt & pepper.

What is your favorite was to use it?
That’s a tough one - Debbie loves it on pizza and we put it on steamed vegetables, baked potatoes and have just begun to add it to soups - kind of makes any soup even chicken noodle like a “hot & sour” soup. Great !!!

What is you favorite Hot Squeeze recipe?
Our favorite easy recipe would be doing a simple party mix. You don’t have to buy the lemon, Worcestershire sauce, etc. - just toss pretzels and cereal with Hot Squeeze.

Why do you think Hot Squeeze is one of your best selling products?
We “sample” it to customers and give suggestions in addition to the sheet that we hand out - we encourage repeat customers to give us their tips on what they like it on.

Thanks to Mayberry on Main for being such a great fan!

Yesterday I was invited to a private tasting at one of Atlanta hottest restaurants–Antico Pizza Napoletana. Several local foodies and I got to sample Chef Giovanni’s delicious pizzas–straight from the oven. My favorite was the San Gennaro, with sausage, sweet peppers and buffalo cheese, but this one was also quite tasty (the Pomodorini):

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Can you believe it’s already fall? While at least here in Atlanta, we have some more grilling days in our future, it’s that time of year when most of us turn our thoughts from backyard parties and barbeque to fireplaces and hearty soups. And what better way to add some spice to your fall dishes than with Hot Squeeze?

Here are some of my favorite fall Hot Squeeze recipes:
1. Turkey Chili-simple, tasty and freezes well
2. Black Bean Chili and Black Bean Roll-Ups-Two meals in one!
3. Cheddar Corn Chowder–Serves eight and is perfect for a tailgate (just double or triple the recipe if you have more mouths to feed)

Happy eating!