Bigelow Tea hopes you enjoyed the big game Sunday! It was another Superbowl for the history books with New York Giants star quarterback Eli Manning leading the Giants to victory over the New England Patriots! There are many famous rivalries in sports, from the Yankees and Red Sox in baseball, to Michigan versus Ohio State in college football – but now we might have to add the Giants and Patriots to that list.  Both teams are to be congratulated on an excellent game in Superbowl XLVI!

Eli also won the MVP award as he led the Giants to victory over the favored Patriots with feats that included a dramatic touchdown march with less than a minute left on the clock! Does this all sound familiar? Yes, Eli and the Giants also beat the favored Patriots four years ago in the 2008 Superbowl. Manning continues the great tradition of New York Giant Superbowl wins and super quarterbacks like MVP Phil Simms, winner of Superbowl XXl and a dedicated Bigelow Tea drinker!

The game may be in the history books now, but don’t worry, Bigelow Tea’s “Big Game Sweepstakes” isn’t over yet! You can still be a lucky winner of football memorabilia and a beautiful tea chest full of 64 tea bags. The Bigelow Big Game Sweepstakes is actually two separate sweepstakes that are running simultaneously, each with two equally fantastic prize packages featuring both super teams. You can enter one or both: the Bigelow Tea New York Fan’s Sweepstakes and the Bigelow Tea New England Fan’s Sweepstakes! Click here for more details on how to enter or just join us on Facebook and enter via the sweepstakes tab, but you must enter by midnight on Wednesday for YOUR chance to win!

Good Luck – and congratulations to both teams for an outstanding Superbowl performance!

Image by RonAlmog via Flickr Creative Commons

The Bigelow Big Game Sweepstakes kicks off with two separate sweepstakes that are running simultaneously, each with two equally fantastic prize packages, and featuring both teams. Hey, we don’t play favorites! So there will be four lucky winners in total. Here’s the lowdown:

Bigelow Tea New York Fan’s Sweepstakes – Win a helmet autographed by legendary New York quarterback (and Bigelow Green Tea fan!) Phil Simms plus a Bigelow Tea Classic Tea Chest filled with 64 individually wrapped teas. The tea chest is complete with an elegant cherry finish, brass hardware and eight tea bags each of: Vanilla Caramel, Earl Grey, Constant Comment, English Teatime, Green Tea, Orange & Spice Herb, Mint Medley Herb and Cozy Chamomile teas. Or you may win a Phil Simms autographed football with the Classic Tea Chest. With the stellar NFL stats of Phil Simms, like 199 touchdown tosses and over 33,000 yards passed, these will hold a MVP (Most Valuable Place) in any fan’s household, or man-cave!

Bigelow Tea New England Fan’s Sweepstakes – Win an official Super Bowl XLVI NFL Helmet signed by New England Tight End Rob Gronkowski plus our Classic Tea Chest, Or you can win an official Super Bowl XLVI NFL Football signed by Rob Gronkowski with the “GET GRONK’D” inscription with our famous tea chest. The 22-year-old “Gronk” holds incredible scoring and receiving records, redefining the position of tight end,including single-season records for most receiving touchdowns (17) and receiving yards (1,327)!

The total value of each of these four prizes is $62.95, not including the memorabilia value – which is considerable to football fans of all stripes!

Our super Bigelow Tea chest! 

To enter, simply “like” our Facebook page (if you haven’t already!) and click on the sweepstakes tab under our profile picture. You can enter one or both sweepstakes, one time each.

Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime chance to win BIG! And good luck to you and your favorite team!

There’s still time to enter our January sweepstakes but hurry – the deadline is January 31^st! You won’t want to miss this chance to win an amazing 4-day/3-night trip for two to Bigelow Tea’s own Charleston Tea Garden, the largest working tea garden in the continental United States!

To enter, simply “like” our Facebook page (if you haven’t already!) then click the sweepstakes tab under our profile picture and enter your name and contact information. That’s it! One winner will be chosen in a random drawing on February 1^st.

We are just thrilled to be offering this special prize, and we can’t think of a better way to celebrate Hot Tea Month! Charleston Tea Garden is located on picturesque Wadmalaw Island, just south of historic Charleston, S.C., featuring 127 acres of beautiful camellia sinensis tea plants and lush grounds to explore. One lucky entrant will win the following:

• A 4-day/3-night trip for the winner and one guest to the Charleston Tea Garden.
• Round-trip coach air transportation for 2 between a major commercial airport closest to the winner’s residence and Charleston, S.C.
• Standard lodging at a Bigelow Tea-selected hotel for 3 nights (1 room, based on double occupancy).
• A tour of the Charleston Tea Garden.
• A $500 American Express gift card for expenses!

Wow, this package has an approximate retail value of $3,200! So grab a cup of your favorite Bigelow Tea and submit your entry today! Good luck!

You know we love our Sweepstakes events here at Bigelow Tea! It’s always thrilling for us to see lucky winners walk away with our tea and other exciting giveaways. Recently we gave away an opportunity to meet Daryl Johnston, former NFL fullback and current broadcaster, at a VIP suite at the Dallas Cowboys’ Valley Ranch Practice Facility. Ten tea drinkers and their guests were lucky enough to win this amazing opportunity … and we heard back from them that it was an experience of a lifetime!

The winners were treated to lunch, a chance to watch the Dallas Cowboys practice and a meet and greet with Mr. Johnston, who just so happens to be a fan of Bigelow Tea! Here’s what some of them had to say.

“Thank you so much for the wonderful contest. Never in my life would I believe I would be eating lunch with Daryl Johnston, but watching the Cowboys practice was a dream come true. We had a blast. Thank you so much.”  Patricia, Sweepstakes winner

“Thank you. My husband and son (Don and Bronco) had an awesome time yesterday as a guest for the Bigelow Tea Sweepstakes winners at Valley Ranch. Meeting and talking with Mr. Johnston was the highlight. I just wanted you to know how much I appreciated it as the wife and mother. You gave my BOYS a very special memory. Please pass my gratitude to your company.”  Kitty, Sweepstakes winner

“Thanks, we had a very memorable, wonderful time.”  Alissa, Sweepstakes winner

We’re so happy that all of our winners enjoyed their time with Mr. Johnston and the Dallas Cowboys. We have another big Sweepstakes event running right now on our Facebook page where you can win a trip or our fantastic Charleston Tea Garden, so check it out and enter today. Good luck!

Image by CityOfFortWorth, via Flickr.com

Bigelow Tea has an amazing sweepstakes prize to kick off the Hot Tea month (January)! Enter our sweepstakes for your chance to win a 4-day/3-night trip for two to Charleston, S.C., and a visit to our own spectacular Charleston Tea Garden, the largest working tea farm in the continental United States! The approximate retail value of this prize package is $3,200! Yep, we said it was amazing!

Here’s what’s included:

• A 4-day/3-night trip for the winner and one guest to our Charleston Tea Garden, located on Wadmalaw Island just south of historic Charleston.
• Round-trip coach air transportation for 2 between a major commercial airport closest to the winner’s residence, and Charleston, S.C.
• Standard lodging at a Bigelow Tea selected hotel for 3 nights (1 room, based on double occupancy).
• A tour of the fabulous Charleston Tea Garden.
• $500 American Express gift card for expenses.

What an opportunity to visit our unique piece of living history – a 127-acre oasis of camellia sinensis tea plants on picturesque Wadmalaw Island! Plus the winner and a special someone gets to stay in one of America’s most charming and historic cities, Charleston, S.C.! How perfect!  The Bigelow family purchased the tea garden in 2003 and has worked diligently to preserve this unspoiled treasure. You’ll see why the gorgeous grounds are a popular setting for weddings, and you’ll learn about the First Flush FesTEAval, an established Charleston tradition and major event in the USA.

To enter the sweepstakes, simply “like” our Facebook page. Then, while on Facebook, click the sweepstakes tab under our profile picture and enter your name and contact information. That’s it! Enter until January 31^st, and one winner will be chosen in a random drawing on February 1^st.  Good luck to all you Bigelow Tea fans! Happy Hot Tea Month!

It’s the holiday season, a time to enjoy more of what we love the most: family, friends and Bigelow Tea! We’re helping to spread the good cheer with our December sweepstakes! Enter to win a handsome wood tea chest with burled top and light walnut finish, filled with some of our favorite flavored and herbal teas. And the top will be personalized just for you – or someone special on your gift list!

You have until December 16 to enter. Simply “like” our Facebook page by clicking the Like icon at the top of our Facebook  page (if you aren’t already a fan), then click the sweepstakes tab under our profile picture and enter your name. That’s it! Ten lucky winners will be chosen by random drawing on December 17^th.

Each of the 10 winners will win one tea chest containing 8 tea bags each of the following Bigelow Tea varieties (64 tea bags in all):

• Lemon Lift
• Earl Grey
• Constant Comment
• English Teatime
• Green Tea
• Sweet Dreams Herb
• Mint Medley Herb
• Orange & Spice Herb 

This beautifully crafted wooden tea chest makes a truly special gift to be enjoyed by you and your family for years to come. Enter today, and have a joyous holiday season filled with love – and tea!

Bigelow Tea was thrilled at the great response to our delicious Recipe Contest! Once we whittled down all the fantastic entries to the 15 contest finalists – no easy feat there – it was up to our astute tea loving public and guest judges to vote for the best Bigelow Tea-inspired recipe. Then we announced our Grand Prize winner – Diane Halferty, and her delectable White Chocolate Mint Mousse Tea Cups are a revelation!

We asked Diane where she came up with her culinary innovation. She told us “I thought a sweet Holiday nibble would be fun. What can be better than two kinds of chocolate paired with a gentle hint of mint filling? The recipe turned out to be a big hit with friends and family. Easy to prepare and it goes great with all kinds of foods!”

Diane is quite creative, “I have been cooking and creating new recipes for decades. I know what goes with what and always use quality ingredients. I think cooking for family and friends is giving a gift from my heart…the effort and care is well worth the results!”

Well worth it, indeed! Diane also shares that she would like to do a series of cook-books, and she gives some advice to aspiring cooks: “For a novice I would suggest reading cooking columns (like the New York Times or San Francisco Chronicle) all on line, and looking at magazines for ideas.  Keeping a file organized by either ingredient or by the kind of occasion, is helpful too.”  A great Bigelow Tea fan, Diane also added “…I am a BIG tea drinker, as is my husband…every morning and every night….I am thrilled about getting the tea!”

Thanks again for everyone who took part and voted, and all those who submitted such wonderful recipes.  Bigelow Tea fans rock!

Bigelow Tea is thrilled to announce the delicious results of our Recipe Contest! Congratulations to Grand Prize Winner Diane Halferty, who garnered the most votes for her delectable White Chocolate Mint Mousse Tea Cups! Diane will receive a year’s supply of her favorite Bigelow Teas (one case of 6 boxes per month) and a personalized engraved wooden tea chest filled with teas ! Great job Diane!

Diane’s recipe was among the 15 chosen by Bigelow Tea as a contest finalist based on originality as well as creative use of brewed Bigelow Tea. Then it was up to you – the public! – and our three highly discerning guest judges to vote for the ultimate Bigelow Tea-inspired recipe. Thank you to everyone who voted on Facebook and our contest landing page – and to all those who submitted such wonderful recipes. Bigelow Tea fans are truly creative … no surprise to us! Stay tuned to our blog for more information about Diane and how she developed her winning recipe.  We all want the secret to her chocolate molds, right?

For more ways to enhance your cooking with tea, check out our Bigelow Tea recipe file. And try whipping up Diane’s yummy dessert this holiday season!

White Chocolate Mint Mousse Tea Cups

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips
6 ounces white chocolate baking chips
2 cups whipping cream, divided
6 Bigelow Tea Plantation Mint or Mint Medley tea bags
3 large egg yolks
Scant ½ cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 drops red food color
2 tablespoons crushed candy canes (about 6 miniature candy canes)

Yield: 24 mini cups 

Instructions:

Line 24 mini muffin cups with petit four paper cups. In 1-quart saucepan, melt bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips over low heat, stirring frequently. Spoon about 2 teaspoons of the chocolate into each paper cup. With back of small measuring spoon, spread chocolate up sides to within 1/8 inch of the top. Chocolate should be warm enough to spread. Refrigerate about 20 minutes or until completely set.

Carefully remove paper cups from chocolate cups.

Meanwhile, melt the white chocolate chips in a double boiler over simmering water. Heat ¾ cup of the whipping cream and the tea bags in a saucepan just until it begins to boil. Carefully remove tea bags and squeeze excess moisture from them into the pan.

Whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and salt until pale yellow. Add the hot cream-tea mixture to the eggs, a little at a time, to temper, whisking constantly. Pour the custard into the melted chocolate while still over the double boiler and whisk until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and remove from the heat; cool mixture.

Beat 1-1/4 cups of the cream to whipped cream consistency. Whip half the cream into the tea mixture and then fold in the remaining cream.

Spoon or pipe whipped cream mixture into chocolate cups. Refrigerate until serving. Just before serving, sprinkle with candy.

The response to our Bigelow Tea Recipe Contest has been fantastic! We’ve selected 15 finalists, and now it’s your turn to help pick the Grand Prize Winner! Check out the delicious viewing gallery on Facebook or the contest landing page on our blog, where you’ll find the Bigelow Tea-inspired recipes and all the details about how to vote for your favorite. You can vote once per every 24 hours until November 18 for the recipe you think is the best and most original. The lucky winner will get a year’s supply of Bigelow Tea, plus a personalized Bigelow Tea chest filled with tea – a $263 value!

In the meantime, we’d like to thank all those who took the time to submit their recipes using Bigelow Tea. Your creativity is inspiring, and reminds us of the infinite ways Bigelow Tea can be used to cook up something extra-special! Seriously, it was no easy task to pick the top 15 recipes!

Here’s how the Grand Prize Winner will be determined: the public votes will count toward 40 percent of the overall recipe scores and the guest judging panel’s votes will count toward 60 percent of the overall scores.  Our culinary experts are Nicole J. Straight, Michelle Jaffe and Jackie Gordon, and they have graciously agreed to lend their expertise by participating in the voting phase of the contest.

So what are you waiting for? Cast your vote … and spread the word about the Bigelow Tea Recipe Contest!

The kitchen timer is ticking away for our fantastic Bigelow Tea Recipe Contest! If you haven’t yet submitted your Bigelow Tea-inspired recipe, remember that submissions are due by October 30^th. No pressure! We just don’t want you to miss out on a chance to be named the Grand Prize Winner and receive of a year’s supply of Bigelow Tea, and a personalized tea chest filled with tea!

We’re looking for the best and most original recipe using brewed Bigelow Tea … it’s an opportunity to let your imagination soar to new culinary heights! Need a little inspiration? Check out this video, showcasing Cindi Bigelow’s cooking skills – and some of the wonderful recipes you can cook up with Constant Comment!

Plus it’s truly simple to enter the Recipe Contest: if you’re 21 years or older, submit your never-published recipe and photo (optional)  of the prepared dish on our Facebook page or our contest landing page here. And that’s it! Once the entries are in, Bigelow Tea will pick 15 finalists (no easy task!). The public and our distinguished trio of guest judges will then vote for the Grand Prize Winner from November 7^th through November 18^th!

So tea-loving friends out there … what are you waiting for? Enter today!