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.

Good manners start young. No one knows this better than Dorothea Johnson, founder of the Protocol School of Washington and the grandmother of actress Liv Tyler (the daughter of Aerosmith musician Steve Tyler who is best known for her film work in Lord of the Rings and Stealing Beauty).

Johnson had already authored several books on tea and etiquette when she felt inspired to teach young people the finer graces of living. Based on her close relationship with her famous granddaughter, Liv, she came up with a picture book and etiquette manual titled, Children’s Tea & Etiquette: Brewing Good Manners in Young Minds. Published by Benjamin Press, the book covers a number of social graces, from the basics of saying “please” and “thank you,” to tea party table manners. It also touches upon the history of tea and includes a smattering of tea party recipes.

For more information about  Johnson’s book, go here.

In honor of January being Hot Tea Month, the 3 Bigelow facilities each host an afternoon tea party for the employees. These annual events are a wonderful way to celebrate the joy of drinking tea and to foster a sense of fellowship and fun amongst co-workers.

At the corporate headquarters in Fairfield, CT, the Customer Service and Call Center staffs host the afternoon tea annually. This year, in addition to a wide variety of Bigelow teas being offered, a selection of delicious food items was served, including cucumber sandwiches, sweet and savory ham sandwiches, and scones with fresh whipped cream and jam. Also, brownies with Bigelow vanilla caramel tea glaze were served, along with sugar cookies drizzled with Bigelow EggNogg’n tea glaze. The tea and the food were presented on tables covered with white linen tablecloths and adorned with several beautiful flower arrangements. While the tea and food were being enjoyed, a raffle was held where every employee had a chance to win items from the Bigelow Direct Marketing catalog.

The annual Bigelow afternoon teas are wonderful events that are eagerly anticipated and are a great way to celebrate January being Hot Tea Month. 

J David Silva, Customer Service Manager

Are you getting all the nutrition you need? The beginning of a new year is a good time to re-evaluate your dietary needs and to learn how green tea can add supplementary nutrition.

Start by re-acquainting yourself with the USDA’s food pyramid or by developing a customized plan at the MyPyramid Web site. Additional dietary guidance is also available on the site, such as detailed nutrient information. This Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) information (now called RDIs) contains recommendations for optimum consumption of vitamins, minerals and micronutrients.

Next, rediscover how tea can provide an extra boost to a healthy diet with health-promoting phytonutrients “that are very similar to those that you find in fruits and vegetables.”

Your last step is a quick visit to the Afternoon Tea Party blog for a breakdown of 18 healthy compounds found in tea, including antioxidants and Vitamin D. The information is formatted for easy comparison to RDA or RDI guidelines and even includes provides an estimate of nutrients received in subsequent steepings of a single tea bag!

Now, when planning healthful pyramid-based meals, don’t forget to include the nutritional benefits of tea, because this seemingly simple beverage really does go a long way in helping you meet your RDAs!