February is National Wedding Month, and Bigelow Tea thinks that makes it the ideal time to celebrate romance! All month long, whether you’re married, single or in a relationship, you can make this wintry month one filled with warmth and love. So let’s get started!

To begin, why not consider checking out a good old-fashioned romance novel from the public library or your local book shop? This genre of books tends to be full of courtship and passion … and romance novels typically have “an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending.” What’s not to love? We also suggest sipping a spicy tea while reading. Perhaps some Cinnamon Stick?

Also during this wedding-themed month, we think a romantic cocktail is in order! The Kisses-n-Cream Mar-TEA-ni is absolutely romantic and perfect to drink with someone special. The best part? It is made with our very own White Chocolate Obsession tea!

Now, if you are engaged to be married and are planning a wedding, we have a fantastic little suggestion for you! Our Charleston Tea Garden in South Carolina is a completely romantic and welcoming location for a special wedding. As we noted last year in our blog, weddings at our beautiful tea garden can include a trolley ride through the grounds for your wedding party where you’ll learn about the garden’s history and about growing tea.

So enjoy the month of February and all of the romance it brings! And if you’ll be saying “I Do” this month, or sometime in the near future, we wish you nothing but the best!

Image by spilltojill via Flickr.com

Awesome time at Okemo skiing last weekend with three lovely ladies from Fairfield Warde High School (daughters of my friends) Darci, Beca and Sophia. Oh and look what they are drinking….it’s Bigelow’s I Love Lemon.  Oh yes it was a good day!!!

Cindi Bigelow

Ladies, did you know that a heart attack can strike with very little or no chest pain? Many women don’t realize that they are less likely than men to experience that sudden crushing chest pain associated with a “Hollywood heart attack” – so named for the stereotypical movie character who grips his chest dramatically before hitting the floor. Because this is American Heart Month and the final day of Women’s Heart Health Week, Bigelow Tea wants to share with you some important facts about heart health to consider the whole year through.

As we’ve talked about on our blog, heart disease is the leading cause of death among women over age 34. One reason behind that statistic is that heart attacks can act more like sneak attacks for women. While chest pain is certainly a common heart attack symptom for women and men, women often describe a pressure, tightness or an ache in the chest rather than severe pain. And, surprisingly, some women feel no chest pain at all during a heart attack. In one study of 515 women who experienced heart attacks, 43 percent said they did not feel any type of chest pain or pressure during the attack. So what should women look out for?

Atypical heart attack symptoms (more common in women):

• Back, neck or jaw pain
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Indigestion
• Weakness / Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Lightheadedness

Other common heart attack symptoms:

• Pain in one or both arms
• Shortness of breath
• Sweating  (most common in men)

Being mindful of these symptoms can save your life. And of course it’s important to understand the risk factors for heart disease and how to maintain good cardiovascular health.  Luckily, drinking antioxidant-rich tea is a great way to pump up a heart-healthy lifestyle!

Photo by the Bush Library via Flickr.com

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

When fashionistas empty the contents of their super-chic handbags, we love to take a peek – and we’re excited when Bigelow Tea is found among the beauty booty! Witness up-and-coming Dallas designer Prashe Shah, who recently spilled her purse for the ShopTalk blog, revealing two packets of Bigelow Tea (check out item #3 in the photo above!) along with a quilted Chanel wallet and a vintage silk cosmetic bag, of her own design, no less. We say this collection reflects Prashe’s all-around good taste!

Prashe’s tea of choice? She had Pomegranate Pizzazz and Orange & Spice herbal teas in her Prada bag. Coffee, she says, has never passed her lips. She’s our kind of gal, for sure! Prashe, who uses gorgeous vintage saris in her clothing designs, isn’t the only tastemaker who has shown her appreciation for Bigelow Tea. A while back, we also captured the contents of Kimora Lee Simmons’ purse, which included Bigelow Green Tea. In fact, Kimora Lee says she “can’t go a day” without tea and the other staples in her bag!

As these ladies know, the foil-wrapped tea pouches keep Bigelow Tea fresh and make it easy to have a cup anytime. What could be more soothing during a fashion emergency? We’d love to know – do you carry Bigelow Tea in your handbag? Tell us what you’re toting via Facebook or Twitter!

Image via shoptalk.dmagazine.com

Super Bowl Sunday is nearly here, and the New York Giants are set to take on the New England Patriots. When it comes to the big game, the beverage that immediately comes to mind is … tea? OK, well maybe there are other brews consumed that day, but at Bigelow Tea we think there’s also time for tea on the road to the Super Bowl – just ask Bigelow Tea Spokesman (and New York Giants Super Bowl Champion)  Phil Simms!

So, to help make your menu a winner, here are two great recipes for the big game. Our Miniature Vegetable Quiches (yep, real men do eat quiche)! And our Perfect Peach Mustard Dipping Sauce, ideal for pretzels, chicken, sausage slices or cheese chunks. Enjoy!

Miniature Vegetable Quiches

Ingredients:

Tea Concentrate:

10 bags Bigelow Green Tea
1 cup boiling water

Vegetable Tea Mixture:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¾ cup diced colored bell peppers
½ cup asparagus tips/ cut into small pieces, 1/2 – 1 inch
½ cup frozen peas
1 tablespoon minced shallots
¼ cup tea concentrate

 Egg Mixture:

6 large eggs
½ cup half and half
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
4-ounces (1/2 of an 8-ounce) package cream cheese, slightly softened, cut into 18-20 pieces
Dill, optional garnish

Yield: Makes 18-24 miniature quiches depending on size of mini-muffin tin (About 1 ½ cups vegetable mixture.)

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Baking Time:  15 to 18 minutes

Instructions:

Place tea bags in a 2-cup glass measure.  Add water.  Steep tea for 10 minutes.
Squeeze all liquid from tea bags into cup.  Discard tea bags.  (About ½ cup tea concentrate.)
Heat oven to 350 F.  Spray 2 (12-cup) muffin tins with baking spray (spray well or alternatively use paper liners); set aside.
In 10-inch non-stick skillet place olive oil.  Heat for 1 minute.  Add peppers, asparagus, peas, and shallots. Cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened.
Add ¼ cup tea concentrate to vegetable mixture.  Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until most of the tea is evaporated.  Remove from heat; set aside.
In large bowl stir together eggs, half and half, salt and pepper.  Mix well.
In bottom of each prepared mini muffin tin, place about 1 tablespoon vegetable mixture.  Top with piece of cream cheese.  Fill to top with egg mixture.
Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until very lightly browned near edges.  Remove from oven.  Cool slightly. Garnish with dill if desired.

Perfect Peach Mustard Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

½ cup water
6 Bigelow Perfect Peach® Herb Tea Bags
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 ½ tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon soy sauce
½ cup vegatable oil
3-4 drops Tabasco Sauce, or to taste

Yield: Makes 2/3 cup

Instructions:

Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the tea bags and steep for 5 minutes, making sure they are completely submerged. Remove to a small strainer and, using the back of a spoon, press as much liquid as possible back into the pan.
In a small bowl, combine the mustard, honey and soy sauce. Add the infused tea and stir until smooth. Whisk in the oil. Season to taste with Tabasco Sauce, cover and refrigerate until needed.

We will be seeing red here at Bigelow Tea … but it’s a good thing! To help raise awareness of heart disease in women, Friday, February 3^rd is designated Wear Red Day. The organization Go Red for Women, created by the American Heart Association in 2004, helps people all across the country plan and carry out events that support the fight against women’s heart disease.

At Bigelow Tea you know that we take women’s health very seriously. Staying active and eating right are two components of cardiovascular health, and avoiding sugar and sugar-based beverages is one way to maintain a healthy diet and weight (fresh brewed Bigelow Tea of course, contains no sugar)! Studies also suggest that tea may boost metabolism, thereby encouraging weight loss and provide cardiovascular health benefits.  And it just so happens to be delicious!

Keeping the “red” theme in mind, we thought we’d offer a few suggestions for drinking some Bigelow Tea varieties that come in those colorful red boxes: if herbal tea is your thing, Red Raspberry is the perfect combination of zing and charm. If you prefer something a little spicy, several of our black teas—including Constant Comment and Spiced Chai—come in nice, red packages too. And if you’d like a seasonal tea in pretty red packaging, consider our White Chocolate Obsession, a February favorite! Mmmmm….!

So Friday (and all year long, really) let’s enjoy our tea and be mindful of our continued heart health!

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!

Bigelow Tea has thoroughly enjoyed sharing Hot Tea Month with all of you! From our remarkable live Facebook chat with Cindi to our sensational Charleston Tea Garden sweepstakes getaway, this month has been full of rockin’ tea-related excitement! Of course, the best part of Hot Tea Month was each and every cup of tea that we sipped, shared and enjoyed during January. So to now close out the month, we leave you with this centuries–old and beautiful tea poem. Enjoy!

A Cup of Tea 

When the world is all at odds
And the mind is all at sea
Then cease the useless tedium
And brew a cup of tea.

There is magic in its fragrance,
There is solace in its taste;
And the laden moments vanish
Somehow into space.

And the world becomes a lovely thing!
There’s beauty as you’ll see;
All because you briefly stopped
To brew a cup of tea.

Tea helps our head and heart.
Tea medicates most every part.
Tea rejuvenates the very old.
Tea warms the hands of those who’re cold.

Can’t you just picture yourself holding a steaming mug of your favorite tea? Whether it’s Constant Comment, Green Tea or an herbal variety, it all warms the heart and soul. So, with those words, we send you off into February, where we know you’ll continue to enjoy your Bigelow Tea. Stay warm, and have a beautiful (and extra-long) February!

Poem by J. Jonker, Amsterdam, c.1670
Image by OhMyGouda, via Flickr.com

Searching for a special gift for the tea lover in your life? Look no further than our Fall In Love Tea Tin or the cool I Love Tea Tin – each with a tantalizing variety of 120 individually wrapped black and flavored black teas from Bigelow Tea. That’s certainly enough tea to warm that special someone’s heart for a long time!

Both gifts come packaged in a whimsical red tin decorated with hearts; the only difference is the design on the top, so choose the one you like best. Either tin would be perfect for Valentine’s Day but they will be available afterwards as well. After all, anytime is a good time to give a gift of tea! And the great thing about our gift tins and baskets is that their recipients have a chance to try flavors that might be new to them. It’s like opening a little gift every time they make a cup of tea! What better way to show you care?

Be sure to take a minute to browse all the wonderful gift items that Bigelow Tea has to offer, from tea tins and baskets to tea chests and so much more. You’re sure to find just the right gift for any occasion. Don’t forget something for yourself, too!