March Bigelow Tea Fan of the Month Kathy Patalsky is a self-described former “coffee-holic” who now prefers soy chai lattes, as well as our “Constant Comment”® black tea and Sweet Dreams Herb tea. OK, we’re swooning! She also happens to be a vegan blogger whose recipes show that a diet free of all animal products can be downright delicious. We checked in with Kathy to learn more about how tea fits into her healthy lifestyle and are so pleased to share her inspirational attitude here today!

First off, prepare to be amazed by the mouth-watering food photos on Kathy’s Happy. Healthy. Life. website.  As Kathy says, “You do not need to be a vegan to love vegan recipes!” (Look for her recipe for Goji Lemon Teamade with “Constant Comment” as well as Citrus and Spice Tea Banana Bread in a future post on our blog.) Kathy became a vegan about 10 years ago and insists it’s not as difficult as people think: “My lifestyle as a vegan is pretty normal actually. I eat my favorite foods, I cook my own meals and dine out just about anywhere. Vegan options are easy to find or ask for. Being vegan pairs well with my deep love of animals and offers many health benefits, which is important to me.”

As for tea, Kathy is passionate about it. “I adore the ritual of tea drinking as it really gives me an escape from my busy workday,” she says, adding that she drinks at least two cups of tea a day. Kathy said good-bye to coffee-based soy lattes about three years ago. Now, it’s the “cravable” vibrant orange spice flavor of Bigelow’s “Constant Comment” and the calming effect of our Sweet Dreams Herb Tea that keep her coming back for more!

Kudos to Kathy for committing to eating and living well – and showing us new ways to love tea!

After last season’s record low snowfall left skiers and snowboarders feeling cheated, “snow country” is bouncing back this season with lots of the white stuff at many resorts. Epic! The weather, of course, is notoriously unpredictable from week to week, but one thing skiers can always depend on is the warming effect from a nice cup of hot Bigelow Tea. What could be better après ski?

Winter sports lovers working up a sweat under their layers will also benefit from the hydration tea delivers along with its wonderful flavor and aroma. Die-hard skiers and snowboarders know that it’s easy to forget to replenish fluids while squeezing in as many runs as possible. So stop for a cup of tea a few times a day.

Bigelow Tea has convenience covered, too. Our individually foil-wrapped tea bags make it easy to stash your favorite flavors in a pocket before hitting the slopes.

As for which teas to take in your pocket, we’re all for toting your personal favorites. Still, there are several flavor varieties we daydream about while riding the chairlift. Cinnamon Stick, Spiced Chai and “Constant Comment®” all chase away the chill with a generous hit of spices. And the delicate flavor of Green Tea is extremely refreshing. Maybe try Green Tea with Wild Blueberry and Acai or Green Tea with Mint! And if you prefer Herb Tea, wait ‘til you taste Cranberry Hibiscus Herb Tea packed with natural fruit flavors!

You can’t go wrong, no matter which teas you choose. So grab a bunch, and enjoy the snow while it lasts! Here’s hoping for more fresh powder and plenty of tea when it’s time to hit the lodge!

Photo by Ander Ljungberg via Flickr.com

Let’s get ready to focus on matters of the heart in February! The second month of the year is American Heart Month, and Bigelow Tea encourages everyone to learn more about heart disease. And please wear red on Friday, February 1 … the 10^th anniversary of National “Wear Red” Day!

National Wear Red Day is the perfect way to kick off American Heart Month, and to lead into Women’s Heart Week, which begins on Monday, February 4. By wearing Red on Friday, people will make a statement that it’s important to take action and commit to fighting heart disease. The Wear Red awareness campaign certainly adds a lot of color to this important cause!

According to the American Heart Association, heart disease remains the leading cause of death for women. It’s more deadly than all forms of cancer. Since the first National Wear Red Day ten years ago, 21 percent fewer women are dying from heart disease and 23 percent more women aware that it’s their No. 1 health threat.

At Bigelow Tea, we think that “sipping” red is a nice way to recognize the day too! Enjoy the flavors of our teas that come wrapped in red-colored boxes. Start off with something fruity like our Red Raspberry or Pomegranate Pizzazz herbal teas. Or add a little spice to the day with “Constant Comment”® or Spiced Chai. There are many Bigelow Teas in red wrappers, so check them all out!

So, as you move through February, remember to take your heart health seriously … and enjoy a little tea along the way!

Top image via American Heart Association/Go Red for Women

Earlier this month we introduced you to Tiffany King, our January Fan of the Month! Tiffany, who home schools her children, also creates recipes and writes about home cooking on her Eat at Home blog. Best of all, even though she’s super-busy, Tiffany always manages to find time for a cup of Bigelow Tea!

Recently Tiffany was inspired to create some sweet, spiced muffins using Bigelow Spiced Chai Tea! We wanted to share the recipe for Spiced Chai Tea Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel Topping with you today. We hope you’ll break out the muffin pan and give it a try!

Spiced Chai Tea Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel Topping

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 stick butter, softened
2 eggs
1/4 cup strong brewed Bigelow Spiced Chai Tea
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla

For the topping:

5 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
3 Tbs. butter
5 Tbs. flour

Instructions:

Stir flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.
In a mixer bowl, mix butter, sugar and eggs.
Add brewed tea, milk and vanilla to wet ingredients and mix till well blended.
Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir gently till well combined.
Divide evenly between 12 muffin tins.
Using a fork, combine all ingredients for topping until you have crumbs.
Sprinkle on top of muffins.
Bake at 400 degrees 15-20 minutes.

Yield: 1 dozen muffins

Notes: To make the strong, brewed tea use 1 or 2 tea bags and 1/4 cup boiling water. Steep for 5 minutes.

At Bigelow Tea we love any catchy little tune that involves tea, like I’m A Little Teapot and Tea for Two. Recently, we started thinking of some songs where we could adjust the lyrics to become tea-related … and we came up with the ABCs of Bigelow Tea! It might start something like this: “American, Black, Chai, Darjeeling, Earl Grey, Fruit & Almond, Green… . ” The alphabe-TEA-cal possibilities are endless!

While thinking about our tea ABC song, we soon realized that we could create different alphabet songs for different aspects of tea. For example, how about a song based on the various kinds and descriptions of dry tea leaves: “aroma, blackish, chunky, dry, even, flaky, grainy … .” Or perhaps we could sing and learn about the descriptions of tea liquors, the actual liquid tea tastes, in our song “astringency, bitter, complex, dry, earthy too … .” What fun we can have as we sing and learn about different facets of tea!

When all’s said and done, how about this for the ending of our clever song? “Now we know our ABCs of tea, next time won’t you take a sip with me?” Pitch perfect!

Like it, love it or not so much, winter starts today, December 21. At Bigelow Tea we like to remember that this day not only ushers in colder temperatures and for some, snowy conditions, but it also makes for perfect tea drinking weather!

The first day of winter is also known as the Winter Solstice. According to The Farmer’s Almanac, the Winter Solstice—as it’s called in the Northern Hemisphere—occurs when “the Sun’s path has reached its southernmost position.” That means that the start of winter marks the shortest day of the year, due to the sun reaching its most southern point in the sky around noon today. So the good news is that after this date, the days will start getting longer! 

Around the world people have various traditions to celebrate the return of lighter days … and at Bigelow Tea we suggest enjoying a cup of tea! You can make the Winter Solstice shine by sipping something warm and perhaps a bit spiced. May we suggest our Spiced Chai Tea or one of our other chai blends?  Our Cinnamon Stick Tea is equally warming!

So, as we celebrate the Winter Solstice today with a mug of steaming hot tea, we also look forward to sharing more beverages and cozy afternoons all winter long!

Top Image by Hackworth via Flickr.com

Here’s another fine excuse for indulging in candy: three days before Halloween, National Chocolate Day on Sunday October 28 encourages all chocoholics to savor this confection in all shapes and forms! Here at Bigelow Tea, we also appreciate chocolaty goodness …  and even make a White Chocolate Obsession Tea to drink when chocolate cravings strike! So, In honor of this cocoa-inspired day and Halloween, we suggest these three yummy recipes that would satisfy any sweet tooth!

Adults can prepare a cup of Spicy Chocolate Chai Tea, which gets its zest from our Spiced Chai Tea. For children of all ages, our Chewy Chocolate Mint Brownies are baked with Plantation Mint Tea. And our Chocolate SweeTEA Pie blends in cinnamon by incorporating our Sweetheart Cinnamon Herb Tea. Ah, how sweet this day is!

Spicy Chocolate Chai Tea

Ingredients:

¾ cups (180mL) boiling water
6 Bigelow® Spiced Chai Tea Bags
1½ tablespoons (22.5mL) unsweetened cocoa
2 tablespoons (30mL) sugar
2 cups (500mL) whole milk
3 cinnamon sticks
Whipping cream, optional

Instructions:

Pour boiling water over Bigelow® Spiced Chai tea bags and let steep 5 minutes. Remove tea bags, squeeze out excess tea from tea bags.

Place tea in saucepan, stir in cocoa, sugar and cook until dissolved or just until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in milk and continue to heat until mixture is thoroughly heated. Pour into cups and garnish with cinnamon sticks and whipping cream, if desired.

Chewy Chocolate Mint Brownies

Ingredients:

5 Bigelow® Plantation Mint Tea Bags (or Bigelow Mint Medley Herb Tea Bags)
½ cup water
1 3/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
¾ cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
4 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
9×13 inch baking pan, greased and floured

Yield: Yields one 9″ x 13″ pan.

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and set the rack on the middle setting.
Place tea bags in ½ cup of hot water. Set aside to cool, and then remove tea bags, squeezing out liquid from bags.
Meanwhile, place 1-¼ cups of the chocolate chips and butter in a metal bowl. Set over a saucepan filled with about 2 inches of water, to create a double-boiler. Heat on low and let chocolate and butter melt, stirring frequently.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together eggs and sugars until well blended. Add the cooled tea mixture and whisk to combine. Add a few tablespoons of the melted chocolate/butter combination to the egg mixture and stir to combine. Add the remaining chocolate and incorporate. Lastly, add the flour and remaining ½ cup of chocolate chips, mixing until smooth.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake approximately 25 minutes. Center will feel firm but still moist. Bake 5-10 minutes longer for a drier brownie. Place pan on a wire rack to cool completely before cutting into 20 squares.

Chocolate SweetTEA Pie

Ingredients:

8 Bigelow® Sweetheart Cinnamon Herb Tea Bags*
¾ cups hot whole milk
10 graham crackers, broken into pieces
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
4 large egg yolks
¼ cup cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 – 9″ pie plate
Freshly whipped cream (recipe below)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and set the rack on the middle setting.
Place the graham crackers into the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse until crackers are fine crumbs. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar and melted butter, and pulse until combined.
Pour mixture into the pie plate and press firmly onto the bottom and sides.
Bake for 10 minutes until lightly golden. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, place tea bags in the hot milk. Allow to steep for 5-7 minutes, and then remove tea bags, gently squeezing out liquid from bags.
In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks, 2/3 cup of sugar, cornstarch and salt. Place pan on stovetop and turn heat to medium-high. While whisking, add tea infused milk. Bring mixture to a low simmer while whisking vigorously. While continuing to whisk, add chocolate chips. Continue to whisk mixture at a low simmer until thickened into a custard, about 5-7 minutes total.
Pour chocolate custard into cooled crust. Allow to cool completely before topping with whipped cream (*recipe below). Place entire pie into refrigerator to chill approximately 3 hours. Serve chilled.

*Whipped Cream

1 cup cold whipping cream or heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Place all ingredients in a large bowl.  Using an electric mixer, beat until stiff peaks are formed. Spoon or pipe onto the cooled chocolate pie.

Top image by D. Sharon Pruitt via Flickr.com

October is National Caramel Month, and we at Bigelow Tea are firm believers that apples go amazingly well with this deliciously gooey candy. We’ve found two tasty ways to enjoy this pairing without getting sticky hands! Thanks to Heather Kennedy, winner of our 2011 Bigelow Recipe Contest, our Caramel Apple Crunch Muffins combine apples with our Vanilla Caramel Tea for a delicious treat worth biting into! And if pie is your thing, another sweet option is our Apple Cider and Caramel Silk Mini Pies. These smooth, bite-size pies get their apple flavor from our Bigelow Spiced Apple Cider Herb Tea. Yum!

Caramel Apple Crunch Muffins

Ingredients:

6 Bigelow Vanilla Caramel Tea Bags
1 cup boiling water
1¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup grated tart apple
½ cup melted butter
1 egg (beaten)
½ cup apple sauce or apple butter
Light or dark brown sugar

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375˚F. Grease muffin tin or line with paper cups.
2. Place 6 Bigelow Vanilla Caramel Tea Bags in a heat proof measuring cup. Add freshly boiled water to the 1 cup line. Place a lid or plate on top of the cup to hold in the heat while the tea steeps for 3 minutes. Remove lid and tea bags – resist urge to squeeze the bags! Set aside the tea concentrate to cool.
3. Combine in large bowl flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Peel and grate 1 large firm tart apple to make one cup of grated apple. Add to flour mixture and stir to break up clusters of apple.  Set aside.
4. Combine melted butter, egg, tea concentrate and apple sauce OR apple butter. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add wet ingredients. Stir just until everything is moistened but don’t over mix.  Fill muffin cups ¾ full. Sprinkle each muffin before baking with a pinch of light or dark brown sugar for the “crunch.”
5. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Remove to rack and allow to cool for a few minutes before removing from pan.

Apple Cider and Caramel Silk Mini Pies

Ingredients:

2 ¼ cups milk
6 bags Bigelow Spiced Apple Cider Herb Tea
6 bags Bigelow Vanilla Caramel Tea
1 (3.4-ounce) box French Vanilla instant pudding and pie filling
1/3 cup white chocolate chips
8 mini graham cracker crusts
Sweetened Whipped Cream
Additional white chocolate chips

*Substitution options: For less sweet overall taste you may replace French Vanilla pudding with plain Vanilla and cinnamon chips may replace white chocolate chip

Makes 6 servings

Instructions:

1. In 2-quart saucepan, over medium heat, bring milk to a simmer. Remove from heat and add tea bags; steep for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove tea bags and squeeze to remove liquid; discard bags.
2. Cool tea milk completely.
3. In medium mixing bowl stir together tea milk, and pudding mix. Using wire whisk, stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until filling becomes thick.
4. Stir in 1/3 cup cinnamon chips. Spoon about ¼ cup filling into each mini graham cracker crust.
5. When ready to serve garnish each mini pie with whipped cream and additional chips.
6. Refrigerate leftovers. 

Image 1 by joyosity via Flickr.com

With October ushering in fall activities, we at Bigelow Tea think this month is ideal for savoring flavors associated with the season. And, because Columbus Day falls on Monday, October 8, we’ve also discovered a tasty way to commemorate this holiday: add in some spice!

In the time of Christopher Columbus, spices were in high demand. With his sailing expedition backed by Spain’s King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, Columbus, an Italian-born navigator, had intended to find a direct waterway from Europe to Asia. Instead, as the history lesson goes, Columbus came upon the Americas, which were previously unknown to Europeans. On his initial return to Spain in March 1493, spices were among the treasures he brought back.  Columbus has become a controversial figure in recent decades, yet his accomplishment is still recognized through public celebrations.

For Columbus Day 2012, we hope you’ll be adventurous like Columbus and try some of our own “test kitchen” discoveries! We’ve developed dessert recipes featuring spices that will certainly ginger up the holiday.  Our Vanilla Caramel Cake pays homage to vanilla, which was found in the New World. Cinnamon, a fall favorite, is super-tasty in our Sensational Cinnamon Sticky Buns.

We also suggest pairing these sweet treats with a selection of our fall-inspired Bigelow Teas. Why not further explorethese flavors by preparing a pot of Bigelow Cinnamon Stick Tea or Bigelow Spiced Chai Tea?

So on this Columbus Day, be adventurous and spice up your personal tastes with Bigelow Tea!

Tea lovers will be excited to hear that you can make ice cream sandwiches with tea! Who knew? Well, we at Bigelow Tea did … and we want to share this fantastic family-friendly recipe with you just in time for National Ice Cream Sandwich Day which is tomorrow! Our Vanilla Caramel Tea infuses just the right amount of sweetness and richness into the ice cream you’ll make with this recipe. If you give it a try, we think ice cream sandwiches will take on new meaning in your household, and your kids might start asking for tea-licious ice cream all the time!

Vanilla Caramel Tea-licious Ice Cream Sandwiches

Ingredients:

1 ¾ cups (409mL) whole milk
6 Bigelow® Vanilla Caramel Tea Bags*
2 cups (500mL) heavy cream
2 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup (160mL) sugar
48 chocolate or vanilla wafers – 2 ½ inches in diameter

Yield: Makes 1 quart (1L) = 24 ice cream sandwiches 

*Delicious alternatives—any of our Bigelow® Teas—suggested flavors are Constant Comment®,Vanilla Chai, Plantation Mint®, French Vanilla or Spiced Chai.

Instructions:

Requires Ice Cream Maker
In a small saucepan, combine ½ cup milk (reserve remaining milk for later use) and 6 Vanilla Caramel tea bags over medium heat until bubbles are visible. Remove from heat and let steep for 6 minutes. Squeeze tea bags, remove and discard.
In a small mixing bowl, beat the eggs, add the tea/milk mixture, remaining milk, cream and sugar. Pour back into saucepan and heat over low heat until the custard thickens but does not boil. Remove from heat and strain; chill.
Pour into ice cream maker and follow manufacturer instructions. Place in a plastic container and store in freezer until ready to make sandwiches.

To make sandwich:
Let ice cream soften slightly, then place a small scoop on flat side of cookie, top with another cookie and press gently. If desired, roll the sides of the sandwiches through rainbow or chocolate sprinkles to coat ice cream. Freeze on a baking sheet for 1 hour; wrap each sandwich in plastic. They will keep in freezer for up to one week.

Prep Time: 15 minutes – Cook Time: 45 minutes.