Pumpkin Ginger Cheesecake

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons (60mL) butter, melted
1 1/4 cup (310mL) gingersnaps, crushed
1 tablespoon (15mL) brown sugar
1 teaspoon (5mL) cinnamon
10 Bigelow Ginger Snappish tea bags
10 Bigelow Pumpkin Spice tea bags
1 1/2 cup (375mL) heavy cream
24 ounces (750g) cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups (375mL) sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups (375mL) pumpkin pie filling
1/4 cup (60mL) pecan halves

Yield: Serves: 10 - Prep Time: 35 minutes - Cooking Time: 70 minutes

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325*F (160*C).
To make the crust, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Mix the gingersnaps, brown sugar and cinnamon together.

Add the melted butter and mix together with a spoon.

Spray a 10″ (25cm) springform pan with cooking spray.

Press the crumb mixture into the bottom.

Filling:

Add heavy cream into saucepan, heat over medium heat, be careful not to boil.

Add Bigelow Ginger Snappish and Bigelow Pumpkin Spice tea bags and steep cream for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags and squeeze out excess cream. Set aside to cool.

Beat cream cheese in large bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy, gradually add sugar, beating well.

Add the eggs one at a time and beat the mixture until it is fluffy and pale. Add the cooled cream and beat well.

Stir in the pumpkin, combine well and pour the cheese mixture into prepared springform pan.

Place pan into a larger pan and fill with hot water halfway up.

Bake for 60-70 minutes. Do not over bake, the middle should have a little jiggle.

Refrigerate at least 3 hours to chill thoroughly.

Remove cheesecake from the pan, decorate the edge of the cheesecake with pecan halves, cut into wedges and serve with whipped cream if desired.

For more great recipes and entertaining ideas, go to: http://www.bigelowtea.com/entertaining/recipes/

Most persons infected with Salmonella exhibit symptoms like diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days. In some instances, however, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, there are 40,000 cases reported in the United States each year. Therefore, there is no doubt it is worthwhile to be on the lookout for more promising news on this subject as well as other green tea benefits.

We are proud to say the Charleston Tea Plantation is now producing its own Green Tea, called ISLAND GREEN. A very mellow green tea with a smooth flavor. Available from our Gift shop in loose tea tins or glass jars.

Give us a call to order at 843 559 0383 or visit us online.

Bill Hall

Learn more about the other benefits of this popular tea by reading our previous entry. For recipes incorporating Green Tea with Pomegranate go here.

I wish them both good luck in their quest for a World Championship!

Bob

Courtesy of New York Times: Joe Torre, left, and Terry Francona during a rare on-field meeting in Fenway Park in 2004.

Roast Loin of Pork with Spiced Apple Cider Apples

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups (975mL) boiling water, divided
1 box Bigelow Apple Cider Herbal tea bags
2 1/2 lb. (1kg) pork loin roast
1 clove garlic, sliced
1/4 cup (50 mL) olive oil
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper
Apple Garnish:
4 large firm cooking apples, peeled and cut into slices
(example: Fuji, Granny Smith, Cortland).
1 cup (250mL) reserved (from above) Bigelow Apple
Cider tea
2 tablespoons (30mL) brown sugar

Yield: Serves 8 - Prep Time: 25 minutes - Cooking Time: 60 minutes

Instructions:

Boil water and add 20 Bigelow Apple Cider Herbal Tea bags. Let steep for 5-8 minutes. Remove bags by squeezing well and discard. Make slits in the roast and insert garlic slices.

Combine 2 1/2 cups (625mL) Bigelow Apple Cider Herbal Tea with olive oil, bay leaves and salt and pepper in a large plastic bag, add pork roast and marinate for 8 hours or overnight in refrigerator.

Refrigerate 1 cup (250mL) reserved Bigelow Apple Cider Herbal Tea for Apple Garnish.

When ready to roast pork, preheat over to 350ºF (180ºC). Remove meat from marinade, place meat in roasting pan and put into oven and roast for approximately 60 minutes or until meat is no longer pink inside and thermometer reads 160ºF (71ºC).

Meanwhile, prepare apple garnish by combining reserved 1 cup (250mL) Bigelow Apple Cider Herbal Tea and brown sugar, place in large skillet, add apple slices and cook on medium heat until liquid has reduced and apple is tender and flavored with tea.

Serve slices of pork with apple garnish.

For more recipe and entertaining ideas go to: http://www.bigelowtea.com/entertaining/recipes/

In addition to putting on a great event, we raised the most money ever for our local charities, almost $85,000. A team of 15 plan this event over 9 months, and to see it come off as well as it did, all I can say is that is what it is all about. No question, one of my favorite things about running this family company is having the opportunity to give back to others and the Bigelow Tea Community Challenge is exactly that…giving back to others.

Cindi Bigelow

Tom Harding, 5K Winner

Photos courtesy of Jack McCoy Photography

For more information about tea and breast cancer, check out previous entries: Reese Witherspoon’s Tokyo Tea Ceremony and Think Pink…Tea Intake Linked to Increased Breast Cancer Survival.

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

Researchers from the University of Toyama in Japan and the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research in the UK reported “The results (of this new study) clearly suggested that daily consumption of chamomile tea with meals could contribute to the prevention of the progress of hyperglycemia and diabetic complications.”

Future studies on humans will need to be conducted to see whether the results can be repeated. As a dietary approach, this may well mean chamomile tea may be added to the expanding list. This is promising news for those with type 2 diabetes…

If you are just looking for “comforting” and want to learn more about herbal teas in general go here. Curious which celebs are drinking chamomile tea? Look here. Or maybe you’re hankering for some chamomile tea yourself?

Some things have changed just a little over the years, like the must-haves when they are on tour. Along with the meatloaf that their chef of 20 years prepares before the first date of their tour, you can add chicken soup, Halls Soothers and, you guessed it, herbal tea.