Smoke In Da Eye asks:  First of all, Dave, for those who don't know the Bacon Salt back story, you all funded this adventure with $5K your kid won with this spot on "America's Funniest Home Videos."  Have you paid him back?

Justin & Dave reply: He’s been paid back with interest! He’s quite the tough little negotiator. In addition, he eats Bacon Salt on just about everything. When a vegetable isn’t to his liking, the Bacon Salt comes out.

SIDE:  I assume you all get a ton of email from folks who have tried Bacon Salt on a variety of things.  What's the craziest or most disturbing use you've heard so far?

J&D:  Food-wise, it’s great on eggs, potatoes, steaks, burgers, chicken, fish – just about everything except ice cream. There’s a guy named Aaron in Texas who runs a website called I Heart Bacon Salt that has to be one of the most adventurous Bacon Salt customers out there, he posts things quite frequently that we would never think to combine it with. He even puts Bacon Salt in his coffee every day.  The most disturbing thing that Bacon Salt has been used on though – hands down – is the guy who used Bacon Salt “in the bedroom.” I’m not going to explain anything beyond that, but the email we got was really graphic and we all had nightmares about it for weeks.

SIDE:  And as a dying wish, what one Bacon Salt enhanced dish would you have as your last?

J&D:  [Dave's] would be Peppered Bacon Salt mixed with fresh chopped garlic and butter served with Dungeness crab. A close second are ribs rubbed in Hickory Bacon Salt and smoked. Either one is amazing and worthy of a dying meal.  Justin’s would be mashed or twice baked potatoes and Hickory Bacon Salt with sour cream, butter, chives, the works. He describes it as “the ultimate potato topper.”

SIDE: So we now have Baconnaise which is awesome.  Care to share any other ideas that you all are kicking around?  Bacon flavored Slurpees?  Bacon toothpaste?

J&D:  Last year we came out with Bacon Lip Balm – that’s right, you can make yourself taste like bacon. There are a bunch of other things in the works as well. Bacon Salt flavored sunflower seeds for one will be going into all of the 7-11’s around the country through a partnership with BIGS (www.bigs.com) – these are unbelievably addictive. There’s a beef jerky company that we’re working with to make a bacon flavored beef jerky – I’ve tried it and I don’t think my life will ever be the same.

SIDE:  Where can I get me a Baconnaise or Bacon Salt t-shirt?  Those would kick-a## but I didn't see any apparel on the site.

J&D:  We actually have a bunch of apparel on the site at http://www.jdfoods.net/buy/merchandise.php. All of our proceeds from this merchandise goes to Mercy Corps, a really great charity that does incredible work around the world to alleviate suffering, poverty and hunger.

SIDE:  You all launched the Company in July 2007.  How long before you had your first 1,000 Facebook fans?

J&D:  Right now we have over 5,000 members of our Facebook group, several thousand friends on Myspace, and over 1,000 followers on Twitter. I honestly can’t remember when we passed the 1,000 member milestone, but they’ve all been really great tools for us to get the word out – and we get tons of great feedback and fun pictures from people who are really fanatical about our products. One guy and his girlfriend recently got matching Bacon Salt tattoos – and yes, they are permanent. You can see the pictures in our Facebook group.

SIDE:  Finally, I've got Bacon Salt at my local Stop & Shop but when can we expect to see Baconnaise on retail shelves?  What can we do to help?

J&D:  We’re really excited about Baconnaise (you haven’t lived until you’ve had it on a burger or turkey sandwich), and we’re working on expanding our distribution as fast as we can! We’re currently offering a year’s supply of free Baconnaise for people that get us into their local stores. Our customers are now talking to their local store managers, dropping comment cards in comment boxes or sending emails to customer support for major retailers like Kroger and Walmart. One guy singlehandedly called 25 stores and told them that this was a “life-altering condiment."

Cool.  Thanks, guys!  Don't forget to check out the recipes later this week at Smoke In Da Eye, home of bigger, badder, bolder BBQ.