Living life below zero left a lasting impression on the Blizzards of Sewickley.
Alan and Pam Blizzard lived in Eagle River, Alaska, for 19 years after fleeing the urban hustle of New York and San Francisco.
Their Alaskan adventures spurred Alan into the kitchen, where he found a keen interest in making homemade small-batch salsas during dark, frigid, long Alaskan winters.
Alan launched his salsa business — Three Dogs Alaskan Salsa — in 2021, after relocating his family from Alaska to Sewickley and experiencing the covid shutdown.
He recalled the sharp contrast of winters in Alaska versus Pittsburgh.
“Some nights were minus-20 Fahrenheit,” Alan said of living in the Last Frontier state. “The day we moved there, it snowed more than 20 inches. We didn’t even have proper winter coats.”
In Alaska, Alan honed his salsa skills and doled out jars of salsa to friends as Christmas presents.
The recipe originated from a friend, and Alan tweaked the various flavors to his liking, ranging from a mild heat to a hot kick.
“It became something that I just gave to people, and everyone would tell me to sell it,” Alan said.
Alan chose to name his salsa business in honor of the three family dogs: Gino, Yodi and Chulie.
Gino is the sole surviving pet from the original trio.
Making the transition from freshly made salsa to commercially canned salsa wasn’t without its challenges.
“I had never canned a thing in my life,” Alan recalled. “This was just a steep learning curve for me. Our sink ate a lot of that salsa.”
The salsa line features three flavors.
Customers lap up Lap Dog (mild) and Guard Dog (medium) as the most popular flavors, and the folks looking for a spicier salsa choose Junkyard Dog (hot).
The couple, married 34 years, have three adult children.
Alan works full-time as a physical therapist and makes salsa weekly beginning on Thursdays. Pam handles the marketing and administrative duties, and the couple donates up to 20% of each jar ($7.99) sold to Pittsburgh-area animal rescues, including Senior Hearts Rescue in Cranberry.
One of their daughters created their catchy salsa slogan, “You’re gonna need more chips,” a playful nod to the shark-themed blockbuster “Jaws.”
The salsa is sold at Janoski’s Farm & Greenhouse in Clinton, Edinboro Market in Edinboro, Trax Farms Market in Finleyville, Save On Beer in Mars, Ambridge Do It Best in Ambridge and The Bridgeside Market in Sewickley. Orders within Sewickley’s 15143 ZIP code receive free at-home delivery.
“I think the draw is Alaska. Everyone is interested in Alaska,” Alan said. “It’s mysterious, so I wanted the name of the salsa to be interesting. They love dogs and are interested in Alaska, and I think that combo is something that works.”
The couple are proud salsa ambassadors and participate in numerous local summer markets.
“Overall, people really like it. It’s made with Italian spices, so it has a different profile than traditional salsa,” Pam Blizzard said.
“I’m a one-person company, and this is what I will do when I retire so I don’t drive her crazy,” Alan said of his salsa gig. “This is something to get up for.”
Alan cans about nine gallons of product, which translates to around 70 jars, per week.
“Usually, I am listening to music. It’s gotten to a point where I’m efficient,” he said.
He sold about 1,200 jars last year.
Sales peak during the warm summer months, and Alan hopes to eventually give back even more.
“I want it to pay for itself, but this isn’t a money maker for me really. I want to eventually have all the proceeds go to charity,” Alan said. “Animal welfare is a passion for me.”