Just had one of the most wonderful employees inform me that she is moving to Florida to be with her family.  I know that it is the best thing for Cheryl and her girls but what a huge loss for Bigelow Tea.

Cheryl is one of these women that just sprinkles goodness everywhere she goes.  She sees no barriers, does not understand limitations, she is just herself every day.  When she passes by anyone in this company you hear her shout out “Happy Monday” or whatever day it happens to be.  She leaves a trail of smiles where ever she goes.  It was not unusual for me to be on the phone conducting business of some sort and have her walk right on into my office, come around my desk and give me a huge hug while I stay in conversation with whoever is on the other end of the line.  Yes, she is a true peach.

More than being missed, she will never  be able to be replaced.  We love you Cheryl….all of us do!

Cindi Bigelow

Whatever you choose to call it –kismet, fate or destiny – it has been the subject of many romantic films which always manage to tug at our heartstrings. The 1998 film You’ve Got Mail is no exception. Written and directed by the multi-talented Nora Ephron and starring Meg Ryan as Kathleen (email alias: “Shopgirl”) and Tom Hanks as Joe (email alias: “NY152”), the film follows a couple who meet and fall in love over the Internet. However, unbeknownst to them, their paths have already crossed outside of cyberspace; Kathleen owns a small and struggling independent book store, which is threatened by Joe’s family-run mega bookstore chain. These two business adversaries, through a series of plot twists, happenstance and fate, eventually discover their true identities, and virtual meets reality over several cups of tea! But the best is – as the saying goes – yet to come.

The movie was filmed in the Upper West Side of New York City and many of the scenes took place at the wonderfully eclectic Café Lalo. Tea is the comfort drink of choice throughout You’ve Got Mail, providing a common denominator between hero and heroine. In fact there are several tea-lovers scenes found in the movie script, from Meg Ryan enjoying her tea at Café Lalo, to putting on the kettle to boil at her apartment, to the final touching scenes (do they finally get together?) at the end of the movie, when Tom Hanks makes tea (with a little honey, thank you) for the ailing Meg Ryan.

We’re hopeless romantics at Bigelow Tea, so it won’t surprise you when we suggest that you buy, rent or borrow this movie,  sit back, relax and prepare to be charmed (or charmed again). Don’t forget to put the kettle on, so that you can sip your favorite Bigelow Tea while you watch.  Kismet and tea – what a wonderful combination!

Photos via Bookofirc.com and Wikipedia.org

The history of tea is replete with legends and lore and fascinating people whose ideas, beliefs and practices still impact us today. Take, for example, the legendary Indian monk, Bodhidharma – called Daruma by the Japanese. Dating back to the 5^th century A.D., Daruma is the undisputed founder of Zen Buddhism.  It is said that at the age of 100 years old, Daruma made the long, arduous trip from India to China, where he found a receptive people – eager to learn the teachings of Chan Buddhism (later known as Zen Buddhism in Japan).

DARUMA

Daruma was also famous for introducing the martial arts to China, and one legend has it that the Buddhist monk was also the creator of Tea. As the story goes: Daruma attained enlightenment while meditating in a cave for nine (or, depending on the legend, seven) years, staring at the cave wall without blinking his eyes. One day, he fell asleep momentarily while meditating and became so annoyed with himself that he cut out his eyelids and threw them to the ground, where –  as the legend claims — the first tea leaves began to grow. In the course of Daruma’s nine-year meditation, it seems that his arms and legs atrophied and fell off, as depicted in the many illustrations of this venerated monk.

So, in honor of the legendary Daruma and in keeping with all that is Zen, Bigelow Tea suggests that you take some time out of your busy day to reflect and relax by sipping a cup of soul-soothing tea – perhaps some Bigelow® Green Tea Chai?

Images via: Stashtea.com, and Onmarkproductions.com

We think of November as a time for Thanksgiving and that’s certainly appropriate, as we have a lot to be thankful for. That’s why here at Bigelow Tea we encourage all Americans to pause and recognize those who served so honorably in our military on this Veteran’s Day, November 11.

Veteran’s Day was originally Armistice Day, honoring the temporary ending of WWI hostilities between the Allied nations and Germany during “The Great War”– on the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month, of 1918. The day was then officially broadened in 1954 to include all veterans by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

November 11 was celebrated internationally as the Armistice
Day, when all fighting stopped in World War I.

Ceremonies abound around the United States on November 11, including parades and other official observances, and they often coincide with Military Appreciation Day, which is celebrated across the country by millions, including groups such as MAD, and organizations such as the New York Jets. New York’s 2010 Veterans Day parade will also be paying special tribute to the 50th Anniversary of the Korean War, with the United States Air Force as the featured service branch.

Full Honor Wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

It is certainly an important day for all of us at Bigelow Tea, and our commitment to those in the military is unwavering. Honoring service personnel – including honoring the commitment of those who serve at home – is of paramount importance to our family. We also salute the civilian volunteer programs that make every day “Veterans Day” via local and national recognition and support efforts.

So take some time this Veteran’s Day to honor those who protect our freedoms and ideals.  Seek out local events as part of your own initiatives for those who gave, and those who continue to give, so freely.

Images via: nydailynews.com,en.wikipedia.org,en.wikipedia.org and arlingtoncemetery.mil

Veteran’s Day….a day that brings great significance to many people.  It is a day to honor all of those men and women who have dedicated themselves to protecting this country and who are fighting for freedom around the globe.  That is why all of us at Bigelow Tea came up with the idea to produce Tea for The Troops.

Using only tea made on American soil, from our Charleston Tea Plantation, we created a package solely made up to give to the soldiers.  It is a thank you card, in a way, to our soldiers for all their hard work.

This tea is not for sale, it is given to soldiers both here in the United States as well as overseas as a small token of our appreciation for their efforts.  Over 120,000 boxes have been placed in our soldiers hands, asking them to take a moment to realize how grateful we all are. 

The notes and letters we have received back from the soldiers who received the tea are so heartwarming. Tea for The Troops was to let them know we care.  We owe so much to them all.

Cindi Bigelow

Bigelow Tea knows there’s no magic bullet for your health, but if anything comes close, it might be green tea — soothing, delicious and calorie-free!

As reported in the March-April 2010 issue of Maximum Fitness magazine, studies suggest that green tea can improve dental health, lower the risk of heart disease, and reduce the rates of certain types of cancer.  Maximum Fitness even suggests that green tea can boost the effects of exercise on abdominal fats, which surely sounds good for your waistline!

What is it about green tea that is so powerful? Researchers are still studying all the benefits, but they often cite catechins, a type of polyphenol which is a powerful antioxidant found in green tea. Maximum Fitness tells us what most medical experts agree upon: antioxidants are key to detoxifying the cell-damaging free radicals in our bodies. (Research also indicates that catechins help provide many other health benefits.)

So, what is ultimately the best reason to enjoy your tea? Well…as you put the kettle on and get your favorite mug out, and start enjoying your favorite Bigelow tea…sipping with a contented sigh…we think you may already have your answer! But isn’t it also empowering that something that tastes so good can also be good for you?

Did you know that November is National Pomegranate Month? Fittingly, we’re smack in the middle of peak pomegranate growing season.  And while those delectable ruby-red seeds can be enjoyed simply by removing them from their hull and eating them fresh and juicy, there are many other ways to savor the flavor.  If you’d like to try some, Bigelow Tea has a suggestion or two!

Why not enjoy your pomegranate tea in a pre-dinner cosmopolitan, and again with your main course in a pomegranate pepper steak? Yum!

Pomegranate Cosmopolitan

Ingredients:

2 cups boiling water
6 Bigelow® Pomegranate Pizzazz tea Bags
1 Tablespoon sugar
4 ounces vodka
4 teaspoons lime juice
2 ounces Triple Sec
Ice

Yield: Serves 4

Instructions:

Place tea bags into measuring cup and add boiling water. Let steep for 10 minutes. Remove tea bags, add sugar and blend well. Refrigerate until cold.

For one drink: Pour 2 ounces of the cooled sweetened tea, 1 ounce vodka, 1 teaspoon lime juice and ½ ounce Triple Sec into a shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into serving glass.

Pomegranate Pepper Steak

Ingredients:

1 cup (250mL) boiling water
12 Bigelow® Pomegranate Pizzazz Tea Bags
3 red bell peppers, seeded and sliced in strips
2 tablespoons (30mL) olive oil
4 – 6oz. (168g) round steak, tenderized
Salt to taste
Dash of pepper
Pomegranate seeds for garnish (optional)

Yield: Serves 4

Instructions:

Add tea bags to boiling water. Let steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags, squeezing out liquid.  Reserve.

Add olive oil to a heavy skillet. Sauté peppers until soft. Set aside.

Add steak to peppers and continue sautéing for about 5 minutes on each side or until done to your taste.

Place steaks on a warm plate. Top with peppers. Keep warm.

Pour tea into hot skillet, add salt and pepper, stirring and scraping brown pits from pan. Boil to reduce liquid to ½ cup (125mL). Pour sauce over steak and peppers. Serve with hot rice.

Garnish with pomegranate seeds if desired.

I had such a wonderful time at the Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center last week. I got to meet this very special woman, Mary. Mary is 94 years old and for her birthday she put out a teapot she got from Bigelow Tea and had her friends make a birthday donation in it! Every ounce of change is welcome-then she takes the money and donates it to the Norma F. Pfriem Breast Cancer Center!  How cool is that. I was delighted to meet her and of course had to follow up by sending her a basket filled with her favorite Bigelow Tea flavors! Mary is a huge Earl Grey fan. What a fun day that was for me…

Cindi Bigelow

There are probably few tea lovers more famous than Harry Potter.  Known the world over for his skillful wizardry, exciting adventures (and battling he-who-must-not-be-named!) we here at Bigelow Tea are most impressed by his loyalty to the simple pleasures of taking tea.

Tea has played a part in several films over the years, but the Harry Potter books and films certainly takes tea enjoyment to a magical level as many of the characters regularly enjoy a spot tea.  In fact, Harry sometimes depends on a good cup of tea to muster up the braveness he needs to face his enemies, as bestselling author J.K. Rowling wrote:

“Harry found the [tea]… seemed to burn away a little of the fear fluttering in his chest.” ~J.K. Rowling

The newest Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, is creating quite the buzz; it premieres November 19^th. Tea fans and Harry Potter fans alike are anxious to see how Harry’s ultimate battle unfolds in the film, which is part one of the two-part final chapter of this always-major movie event. Here at Bigelow Tea we are all looking forward to watching how Harry and his loyal band of friends infuse a little tea into all of the excitement!

Image via IMDb.com

As the fall evenings grow longer, we find ourselves with a few extra minutes on our hands, Bigelow Tea has a suggestion for a delectable new (and oh-so-civilized) Lemon-Drop Mar-TEA-ni, sweetened with agave nectar. Lemons never had it so good!

Agave nectar, from the Agave plant prominent in Southern Mexico, is also used to make tequila. Containing saponins, Agave is reported to have anti-inflammatory properties and to bolster the immune system (the Aztec Indians even used for its anti-bacterial capabilities).

We’re not sure if we can boost our immune systems with this Bigelow Tea Mar-Tea-ni, but with the agave and I love Lemon herbal tea blend, it’s worth a try!

Lemon Drop Mar-TEA-ni Sweetened with Agave

Ingredients:

6 Bigelow® I Love Lemon Herb tea bags
1¼ cups boiling water
2 ½ teaspoons agave nectar
4 ounces vodka
2 ounce Limoncello

Yield: Serves 4

Instructions:

Place Bigelow® I Love Lemon tea bags into a measuring cup and boiling water. Let brew 5 minutes. Remove tea bags.

Add agave nectar and stir until it dissolves.

To chill, place tea concentrate in the freezer for 30-45 minutes.

To make martini, take two ounces of the cooled sweet tea mixture and mix it with 1 ounce vodka and ½ ounce Limoncello. Shake with ice and strain into a martini glass.

Garnish with a twist of lemon.