24th September, 2008: Tea Video Contest Selects Its “2008 Calm-A-Sutra of Tea™ Master”
The Calm-A-Sutra of Tea Master for 2008 National Scholarship contest, which required all entrants to submit original one-to-two minute Internet videos containing at least one valid message regarding tea’s health-related benefits, specifically black, green, white and oolong tea, has chosen a winner…and the grand prize goes to…John Ford. John will receive a $20,000 scholarship from the Tea Council of the USA, Inc.
John is a resident of Los Angeles, CA and second year graduate student at the American Film Institute (AFI) where he is pursuing a Masters of Fine Arts in Film Directing.
Out of nearly 700 videos submitted, John’s video, INTERROGATION, stood out. The Tea Council of the USA, Inc. partnered with sitcom star Megyn Price of the CBS hit series Rules of Engagement as the official Calm-A-Sutra of Tea celebrity spokesperson.
The video was reportedly inspired by John’s father, a retired FBI agent, “who to this day can’t seem to shake the habit of interrogating everyone, including the cat.” It depicts two police detectives interrogating a cup of tea. It’s entertaining and educational all at the same time… a must watch!
For more information, see our two previous entries: Enjoy the “Calm-A-Sutra of Tea” and Win $$$ and The How’s and Why’s of Tea.
Posted by Julie at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
22nd September, 2008: It’s the First Day of Fall: Time for a Harvest Moon Tea Party
Look for the “Harvest Moon”…today is the first day of fall. What “a marvelous night for a moon dance” or better yet, for a Harvest Moon Tea Party?
Autumn begins with the September equinox, when the sun rises directly in the east and sets directly in the west, which is true of the spring equinox as well. Soon the weather will become brisk and the leaves will start to turn from green to shades of red, yellow and orange.
Throughout the season, be sure to enjoy both the sun and the moon with a delightful, warm cup of Pumpkin Spice Autumn Spiced Tea or Cinnamon Stick® Tea.
Posted by Julie at 6:00 am | Comment (1)
19th September, 2008: Cast Aside Your Everyday Teapot
Cast aside your everyday teapot in favor of a cast iron one. It’s one of a kind and retains heat better, lasts longer and is a source of daily iron.
A popular method for producing cast iron teapots is by using a process called sand casting. Sand casting is done using either a green sand mold or air set sand casting. After the pattern has been tamped into the sand mold itself, molten metal is then poured into the mold to create the teapot.
What is particularly appealing about the use of sand molds is every individual teapot that was produced from a particular mold is unique since the mold it was created in cannot be used again. Even if another mold is made to replicate the same shape, it will never be exactly alike.
In her article, “Cooking with Cast Iron Pots”, Martha L. Gore of Healthy Cooking speaks about the benefits of cooking with cast iron. In addition to heating more uniformly, using cast iron can contribute to the daily source of iron. And don’t forget durability.
Bigelow offers a couple different kinds of cast iron teapots, both of which will leave you happily brewing your favorite kind of tea for years to come. Check out our Butterfly Teapot and Green Bamboo Cast Iron Teapot.
Butterfly Teapot
Green Bamboo Cast Iron Teapot
Posted by Ross at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
17th September, 2008: Live Long with Oolong
Since it was first sipped by ancient Chinese emperors, Oolong has been heralded as a very special kind of tea. Today, we now recognize that the reason for this lies in the numerous ways in which the tea can improve your health and well-being.
Just like green tea, Oolong contains incredible anti-oxidants which, on their own, supply a tea drinker with many healthy benefits. Oolong also contains something called Polyphenols, which “have the ability to remove free radicals.” Free radicals can be linked to skin aging and dark spots, interfering with the immune system and are connected with cancer cells as well.
Oolong is also known to increase enzyme functioning that, in some cases, can be connected to increased metabolic rate and the breakup of triglycerides, also known as fatty deposits. The caffeine present in the Oolong tea is also known to “stimulate the frontal cortex of the brain,” which increases memory function (perhaps so you can remember which tea to buy when you run out!). Your teeth and mouth will appreciate your choosing Oolong as well because it has been shown to reduce tooth decay and decrease the time it takes your mouth to heal because of the tannins in the tea.
With all of the studies done to reveal the multitude of benefits that this tea has to offer, one thing is clear: You’ve waited too long to get some Oolong.
Posted by Ross at 6:00 am | Comments (7)
15th September, 2008: Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month!
Today, September 15th, marks the beginning of National Hispanic Heritage Month. Over the next month, the contributions of Hispanic Americans to the United States will be recognized and Hispanic heritage and culture will be celebrated. September 15th was chosen as a starting point to this month-long celebration because it is the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mexico declared its independence on September 16th and Chile on September 18th.
To learn more about events going on around the country honoring this month go here. For a “piñata full of activities” and entertaining ways to learn more about Hispanic heritage and culture, go here. And make sure not to miss what’s going on at our own website, Déle sabor a su vida! or Add Flavor to your life!, which we introduced last March on this blog.
Posted by Julie at 6:00 am | Comment (1)
10th September, 2008: Six Tips for a Buffet Tea
Are you into casual entertaining? According to the Tea Party Girl, “A tea buffet is a simple and beautiful way to host a less formal tea gathering.” The blog even delivers six easy serving suggestions.
Among them are these winning tips:
- First, “keep your food pretty, but simple.” This means the tea should be the only item that’s drippy (sorry, no chicken wings allowed). Serve nothing that’s extra hot or requires cutting with a knife.
- Second, limit your beverage selection to two teas, “an herbal/decaf and a black tea of choice that you brew ahead. DO NOT put out a number of teabags for your guests to choose from and expect them to brew their own tea and deal with drippy teabags.”
- Third, use “no scented candles to interfere with the fragrance of the food and tea!”
For more tips on serving tea buffet-style, read the full Tea Party Girl post here.
Posted by Brenda at 6:00 am | Comment (1)
9th September, 2008: Green Tea May Provide Relief for Dry Mouth
For centuries, the health benefits of green tea have been widely speculated. Tea drinkers can agree on its delicious taste and because of that, have continued to drink it. Recently, though, studies have emerged linking green tea to the prevention of the autoimmune disease, Sjogren’s Syndrome.
Sjogren’s Syndrome, or dry mouth, is a relatively common disorder in which people do not produce enough saliva. According to research at the Medical College of Georgia, in an experiment with mice with the same condition, those treated with green tea extract produced much better results than other test groups.
Lead researcher, Dr. Stephen Hsu explains that “30 percent of elderly Americans suffer from degrees of dry mouth,” so there truly is a need to find some sort of remedy. One notable effect of the experiment was the short time it took for the healing benefits of green tea to work. Dr. Hsu said, “Those treated with the green tea extract beginning at three weeks, showed significantly less damage to those glands over time.”
So, tea drinkers, now in addition to all the tasty and relaxing effects of tea, it might actually be keeping you healthy. Maybe milk and green tea can unite in their cause to “do a body good” like in this green tea ice cream recipe!
Posted by Linda at 6:00 am | Comments (2)
8th September, 2008: Looking Like the Last Rose of Summer…not a Chance with these Summer Tea Dresses
Have you ever heard someone sigh “I just don’t want to look like the “last rose of summer” in this dress!” They are probably not referring directly to the poem of the same name by Irish poet Thomas Moore or a YouTube video singing the widely-known melody, The Last Rose of Summer, which set the poem to music…but rather are inferring looking “out of season” from a fashion standpoint during the transition from summer to fall.
Hear’s the good news: this season, according to the September issue of Lucky Magazine, you can “transition a frothy patterned dress into next season with a long cardigan, a thin belt, and playful lace up open toe shoes.” Similarly, bright floral dresses are featured topped with jackets and super shiny high heels to provide a “chic wintery edge.”
Therefore, there is no need to purge that summer tea dress, which was the trend this summer. After all, you’ve enjoyed wearing it all summer long while sipping your favorite tea. Perhaps you even own a signature tea dress designed by Kate Moss? As we’ve reported before, Ms. Moss is a huge tea fan.
All you need to do is reach deeper into your closet for a few extra items…and step out this month for a cup of hot tea, confident you do not look like “the last rose of summer.”
Posted by Julie at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
5th September, 2008: Honor Your Grandparents: Sunday is National Grandparents Day
National Grandparents Day is celebrated each year on the first Sunday after Labor Day. In 1978, the United States Congress passed legislation, signed by President Jimmy Carter, declaring it a national holiday. September was chosen for the holiday in order to signify the “autumn years” of life. And it is all those years that one woman, Marion McQuade, a housewife from West Virginia, set out to recognize. This special day is set aside to appreciate the lifetime of experience, strength and guidance older people have to offer.
How do you plan to make this day special for your grandparents and elderly relatives and friends? Maybe they start and end each day with a cup of tea? Or maybe they’d delight in something totally different like a Green Tea Spa Bag? Whatever the case…here are some great gift ideas.
Bigelow Golden Assortment
Green Tea Spa Bag
If you’d like to see more, go here. For more information on National Grandparents Day, go here. Happy Grandparents Day to all!
Posted by Julie at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
3rd September, 2008: What’s for Dinner?
It’s time to try some new flavors around the dinner table! And what these entrees have in common is tea and great taste! Each of the three dishes highlighted here was featured during a cooking demo held on March 7th. Included were: Pomegranate Risotto, Glazed Chicken Breast using Constant Comment® Tea and Green Tea Poached Shrimp with Green Tea Vinaigrette.
Is your mouth watering yet? If not, take a look at the recipe for the Risotto which includes Bigelow’s Pomegranate Pizzazz tea. Other key ingredients are Arborio rice, fresh tarragon and mascarpone cheese.
The Constant Comment Glazed Chicken also contrasts both salty and fruity flavors with ingredients such as apricot and pineapple preserves which marry with the flavor of soy sauce. (Get that recipe here.)
And, last but not least, is the Green Tea Poached Shrimp, a stir-fry dish that’s drizzled with Green Tea Vinaigrette. Flavors include hints of garlic and ginger. And adding a healthful dose of green are vegetables ranging from snow peas to baby spinach.
Click on the links above for complete recipes, and bon appetite! Or rather, bon appe-TEA!
Posted by Brenda at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
