Hello BBQ Gang! Welcome to another BIG issue of the ILBBQS eNewsletter. Here's what's going on in the world of the Illinois BBQ Society... ~ Welcome New Members... ~ Applications Now Available... ~ The Charitable 'Little' Contest Up North... ~ ILBBQS Member Takes to the Airwaves with New Radio Talk Show... ~ ATTENTION MEMBERS... ~ New Membership Updates and Renewals... ~ ILBBQS BBQ Blog Picking Up New Members... ~ New ILBBQS Sponsor... ~ Upcoming Non-Sanctioned/Backyard Contests... ~ Upcoming KCBS Contests... ~ Upcoming Classes... x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x This eNewsletter brought to you by: Mojo Rub & Seasoning ~ Don'cha think it's time to Git'cher Mojo On! All natural spices mingling together to achieve world peace...kinda. Check us out online at http://www.MojoRub.com for details. x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x Welcome New Members... (Visit ILBBQS.com to click their names and visit their sites!) Backyard Barbeque Store - Wilmette, IL Jason Flemming - Harvard, IL Kirk Beyers - Pappy's Pork-A Palooza Competition BBQ Team - Highland Park, IL Danny Beyers - Pappy's Pork-A Palooza Competition BBQ Team - Highland Park, IL Tim Clendenning - Windy City Smokers - Hanover Park, IL Rich Langer - St. Louis, MO James Baker - Round Lake Beach, IL Illinois State BBQ Championship - Shannon, IL *************************************** Applications Now Available... With the contest season beginning to shape up, there are a number of applications that are now available, from our member contests and events, for download and/or Online submission. Surf over to http://www.ILBBQS.com to see a full list of the available applications! More will be added as they are sent in. *************************************** The Charitable 'Little' Contest Up North... ...is just around the corner and is turning into 'Must See TV' for the world of BBQ in Illinois. Sponsorship from Sweet Baby Ray's and The Backyard BBQ Store is helping to push the prize pot up as cash and prizes keep pouring into the 2008 Des Plaines Winter Burn-Off. If that isn't enough, both the Elk Grove, IL Contest and the Westmont, IL Contest have donated a free entry to their contests...the prizes just keep on keepin' on. If you're not already signed-up for this charitable event to benefit Albinism, you better contact Keith Engstrom (KRE SMOKERS) quick...latecomers looking for a spot as a cook or certified judge are likely to find themselves on a waiting list as the February 10th contest draws near. Speaking of draw...with the State of Illinois Proclaiming this 'little' contest a State Championship, and Keith and crew working to make sure all requirements are met, this fierce, but friendly, Winter Burn-Off is in line to be a Qualifier for The Jack Draw. Contact information for the contest, and Keith, can be found on the 'Contests/Events' page. *************************************** ILBBQS Member Takes to the Airwaves with New Radio Talk Show... After exploding onto the BBQ scene in 2007 with a resounding 5th place overall finish at the Southern Illinois Bluegrass & BBQ Festival (his first KCBS event), and winning a brand new Good-One Smoker from Ace of Hearts BBQ Specialties along the way, Marc Smith (Iron Pigs BBQ) is taking on the likes of Howard Stern, Don Amos, and Dr. Phil with a new radio talk show called LifeSigns. Okay, so maybe he's not actually going head-to-head with those other guys, but who knows what the future holds? Keeping this article BBQ related is easy enough. Marc (a downstate doctor by trade) will be interviewing ILBBQS representative Jim Rhino on the "BBQ Phenomenon" that is spreading like wildfire across the state...the Midwest...the World! Though air dates are not yet set, be on the lookout for airing station(s), times, dates and the like...we'll get the info posted here as soon as it becomes available. In the mean time, if you organize, or help out with, a BBQ contest and/or event in Illinois, please be sure you have sent in the latest details about your event for possible inclusion on the 25 minute radio show. *************************************** ATTENTION MEMBERS... Do you have a website for your BBQ Team? Let us know!  We'll get it listed on the BBQ Links page for all to see! Do you have a restaurant or cater? If so, you could be missing out on a golden opportunity for extra business...FREE with your membership! Many of you have surfed over to the 'Illinois BBQ Joints' page to find out who's listed, but did you look to see if YOU'RE listed? Though all legitimate BBQ joints, restaurants, and caterers will be listed for free on that page, ONLY MEMBERS will have their email addresses and/or website addresses listed for no additional fee. Even if you only do it "on the side", or simply to make a little extra cash to "pay for the hobby", you can be listed by simply letting us know. To find out what information is needed, surf over to the Illinois BBQ Joints page on the ILBBQS.com site. *************************************** New Membership Updates and Renewals... Just a note to let everyone know that the process for new members to sign-up and securely pay online has been streamlined and made simpler. As of last week, the whole PayPal Online Payment system went through an overhaul; it now accommodates both New Members AND Renewing Members. Also, for those of you who were due to renew in 2007 and didn't receive renewal information due to the great computer crash of oh-seven, or the unexpected personal hiatus yours truly took, your membership has never lapsed. As you have noticed, your access to the member's only section has continued, and your membership renewal date has been extended through January 2008. While Individual Membership prices will remain steady for 2008, please note the slight changes in membership fees for Contests, Festivals, and Corporations. Your membership fee is now the same as a Family Membership...just $40/year. For those of you caught up in the aforementioned crash or hiatus, as a thank you for your patience, your contest, festival, and/or corporate membership will continue at the 2007 Rate through this year. Thank you all for your continued support through the trials, tribulations, and growth explosion that ILBBQS experienced in 2007. FYI...those of you who were due to renew in 2007 or January of 2008 should have received membership renewal notices via email. They were sent on January 13th. If you have not received, please check to make sure it did not hit your SPAM folder. If not there, let us know...we'll resend right away so that membership doesn't lapse. If it was in your SPAM folder, please make sure that bbq@ilbbqs.com and membership@ilbbqs.com are both in your computer's address book. Thank you! Should you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or ideas, please feel free to contact us anytime! Simply send an email to bbq@ilbbqs.com ...we'll get back with you right away. *************************************** ILBBQS BBQ Blog Picking Up New Members... Up until recently, the ILBBQS BBQ Blog has been a hidden gem. Thanks to the efforts of Steve Abrams (Burnt Food Dude), and the scores of members and 'lurkers' who have signed on, this little gem is beginning to shine. If you haven't already found your way to the message board, please check it out! It has a place for teams and/or members to post a bio, a member built recipe section, and even has a section where contest information for a multi-state area can be updated by members. The message board is designed for everyone. From grillers to smokers, its easy (and FREE) to access, just click the 'BBQ Blog' link at the top of any ILBBQS.com page. *************************************** New ILBBQS Sponsor... Mojo Rub & Seasoning (www.MojoRub.com) is now an official sponsor of the ILBBQS. Bandit BBQ Catering & Competition Crew (full disclosure: this is Jim Rhino's catering & contest team) designed this rub to be used on pretty much anything. To rave reviews, it's been sample tested by folks in Wisconsin, Illinois, North Carolina, and Florida, and is hoping to begin picking up national, and international, customers by year's end. Here's the booster for ILBBQS...this whole project has been designed to benefit the ILBBQS' efforts to grow membership, increase BBQ awareness in the state, and provide more members with more benefits throughout the year. Though still being produced on a small scale to ensure quality, we are currently doing a little due diligence to find a quality, and trusted, bottler to mass produce the flagship product, simply called Mojo Rub XXX. If any of you know of a good bottler, please let us know. If you have a couple of extra minutes, please surf over to www.MojoRub.com and check out the site; then let us know what you think! After all, it's there for us! *************************************** Upcoming 2008 Non-Sanctioned/Backyard Contests... ~ February 10, 2008 - 2008 Winter Burn-Off - Contact: Keith Engstrom, 915 Second Avenue, Des Plaines, IL 60016 - Phone: (847) 312-4053 - E-mail: rekengstr@ameritech.net ~ June 14, 2008 - 4th Annual Smokin' in the Park - Contact: Hap & Becky Zook at 309-266-5078 or Jim & Anita Allen at 309-962-9388 - E-mail: bjzook@verizon.net or jaallen@msn.com ~ June 21, 2008 - 2nd Annual Galesburg Railroad Days Jaycees Rib Cook-Off - Contact: Sherry M. Kincaid - E-mail: ribcookoff@galesburgjaycees.org ~ October 12, 2008 - TENATIVE - Maschhoff's Pork Farm Backyard BBQ Cook-Off - Contact: Julie Maschhoff, 7475 State Route 127, Carlyle, IL 62231 - Phone: 618-594-2125 - E-mail: juliem@pigsrus.net ~ October - Barn Burner BBQ @ Lamb's Farm - Contact: Claudia Stevens, 14245 W. Rockland Rd, Libertyville, IL 60048 - Phone: 847-990-3750 ~ Fax: 847-362-0742 - E-mail: crs@lambsfarm.org *THIS CONTEST IS PENDING KCBS SANCTIONING* *************************************** Upcoming 2008 KCBS Contests... (All info posted on http://www.ILBBQS.com -> Contests/Events) ~ May 2-3, 2008 - Southwestern Illinois Spring Festival - Contact: Shane Swartzlander - Phone: (618) 533-5703 ~ Fax: - E-mail: 2chubby@sbcglobal.net ~ May 9-10, 2008 - CANCELLED - Dust Off Your Grill Backyard BBQ Cook-Off - Contact: Patty Peterson, 1000 Health Center Drive, Mattoon, IL 61938. - Phone: 217-258-2424 ~ Fax: 217-258-4135. - E-mail: ppeterson@sblhs.org ~ May 16-17, 2008 - The Randolph County Pig Party - Contact: Jason Vallett, 402 E. Broadway, Steeleville, IL 62288. - Phone: 618-965-3414 ~ Fax: 618-965-3177 - Email: jason@gregvallettautosales.com ~ June 13-14, 2008 - King City BBQ Showdown - Contact: Troy Heitmeyer, 104 N. 9th Street, Mt. Vernon, IL 62864 - Phone: 618-242-4020 x 15 ~ Fax: 618-242-3383 - E-mail: troy@cmacsoft.com ~ June 13-14, 2008 - Elk Grove Rotary Ribfest - Contact: Ron Nunes, 701 E. Irving Park Rd, Ste. 200, Roselle, IL 60172 - Phone: 630-307-8744 ~ Fax: 630-307-8755 - E-mail: rnunes9457@aol.com ~ July 11-12, 2008 - Illinois State Championship & Butt to Butt Pork Invitational - Contact: Connie Smith, 301 E. Sunrise Drive, Shannon, IL 61078 - Phone: 816-864-2542 ~ Fax: 815-864-2825 - E-mail: rrribs@frontiernet.net ~ September 12-13, 2008 - Southern Illinois Bluegrass & BBQ Festival - Contact: Rick Russ, TourSalem.com, 101 South Main Street, Salem, IL 62881 - Phone: 618-548-7752 ~ Fax: 618-548-5330 - E-mail: fun@bluegrassbbq.com ~ September 19-20, 2008 - - Carbondale Main Street Pig Out - Contact: Meghan Cole, 121 S. Illinois Avenue, Carbondale, IL 62901 - Phone: 618-529-8040 ~ Fax: 618-529-8041 - E-mail: info@carbondalemainstreet.com ~ October 10-11, 2008 - Central Illinois Bragging Rights - Contact: George Fritz, 136 S. Vine Street, Arthur, IL 61911 - Phone: 217-543-2181 - E-mail: bbq@arthuril.com *************************************** Upcoming Classes... (All info posted on http://www.ILBBQS.com -> BBQ Classes) ~ Certified Table Captain’s Class: Arthur, Illinois - 03/07/2008 - Instructor: Mike Lake - Website: http://www.CIBR-BBQ.com - Contact Information: George Fritz ~ Phone: 217-543-2181 ~ bbq@arthuril.com ~ Certified BBQ Judging Class: Arthur, Illinois - 03/08/2008 - Instructor: Mike Lake - Website: http://www.CIBR-BBQ.com - Contact Information: George Fritz ~ Phone: 217-543-2181 ~ bbq@arthuril.com ~ Certified Table Captain’s Class: Mount Vernon, Illinois - 04/18/2008 - Instructor: Mike Lake - Website: http://www.SouthernIllinois.com - Contact Information: Troy Heitmeyer ~ Phone: 618-242-4020 x 15 ~ troy@cmacsoft.com ~ Certified BBQ Judging Class: Mount Vernon, Illinois - 04/19/2008 - Instructor: Mike Lake - Website: http://www.SouthernIllinois.com - Contact Information: Troy Heitmeyer ~ Phone: 618-242-4020 x 15 ~ troy@cmacsoft.com *************************************** Upcoming BBQ Cooking Classes... (All info posted on http://www.ILBBQS.com -> BBQ Classes) ~ Wilmette, Illinois - 02/02/08 - Doctor Porkenstein BBQ Cooking Class - Cost: $50 (Class will cover Ribs & Chicken) - Instructor: Alex Cothell aka Doctor Porkenstein - Location: Backyard Barbeque Store ~ 1147 Greenleaf Avenue - Phone: 847-251-2272 ~ Online: www.BackyardBBQStore.com - Contact Information: Dan ~ dan@backyardbbqstore.com ~ Shannon, Illinois - 4/4/08 thru 4/5/08 - Old School vs. High Tech BBQ Cooking Class - Instructors: Johnny Trigg & Rod Gray - Location: Eastland Middle School ~ 601 Chestnut Street ~ Contact Information: Rod Gray ~ rod@pelletenvy.com *************************************** If you have a BBQ related news item you would like to share with the group, be sure to send it in! There is an easy-to-use 'Submit News' button on our website at http://www.ILBBQS.com ...use it often! As always, if you have any pictures, stories, news items, comments, suggestions, questions, or ideas, let me know! Well folks, that's gonna do it for this year's news and updates. I hope you have a most wonderful, and safe, New Year! I'm looking forward to seeing a lot more of you down the BBQ trail of 2008! Carpe 'Que, Jim Rhino