Image Courtesy of the New York Yankees

The Yankees will be celebrating this 27th world championship on Friday, when New York City hosts a ticker-tape parade for the team and around three million of their appreciative fans, who will get a chance to congratulate the World Series Champs in person. The ticker tape parade route will take the beloved World Champion Yankees through the fabled Canyon of Heroes in Manhattan, down to City Hall, where the Yankees will be presented with Keys to the City.

Bigelow Tea Original Yankee Stadium Tin

If you can’t make it to the parade, you can still join in the celebration with Bigelow Tea, and get those baseball fans on your list this great collectible Original Yankee Stadium Tin, licensed by Major League Baseball® and the National Baseball Hall of Fame®.  This perfect baseball lovers gift comes with baseball shaped shortbread cookies and 48 individually wrapped Bigelow® Green Tea Bags! A perfect combination – like peanuts and Cracker Jack!

The throngs of fan applause flowing down in Yankee Stadium have quieted for now, but remember baseball fans; it’s only a few short months until pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training 2010!

This year the team celebrated as in years past with breakfast on one day and a team lunch at the end of the week. During the week each team member also received special gifts, a token of my and the company’s appreciation for a job well done. We also take time during a team meeting to discuss and celebrate our successes, focusing on the things that we do that help us to provide world class service to Bigelow’s valued customers.

This year we also did something different. We decided to honor our internal customers here in Bigelow’s corporate office. We wanted to recognize and thank all the people from the various departments that we interact with for all of their hard work and the assistance that they give to us when we are servicing Bigelow’s customers. So this year the Customer Service and Call Center departments hosted an ice cream social in the company’s cafeteria. We served vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream, along with about 12 different toppings. The event was a huge success, with a lot of laughter, fellowship and fun had by all.

Customer Service Week may be celebrated but once a year, but I am certainly grateful all year round for the fine work that my team does for Bigelow Tea!

J David Silva, Sr.
Customer Service Manager

Join us “in a national movement to Stop Diabetes℠…
help us confront it, fight it, and most importantly, stop it.”

American Diabetes Association

November is American Diabetes Month®, sponsored by the American Diabetes Association to raise awareness about the disease, which affects approximately 75 million Americans. The focus will be on the “Many Faces of Diabetes” – who is affected by diabetes, how it can be managed, controlled, and most importantly, prevented.

Bigelow Green Tea

Diabetes is caused by an excess of glucose (blood sugar) in the bloodstream. The build-up spreads and can damage organs and tissues throughout the body.  Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas, needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy, which allows the glucose to feed the cells.  In its extreme, Diabetes Type 1, the body does not produce enough insulin, and it must be delivered by injection or a pump. Recent studies and laboratory tests have delivered good news by showing Green tea reducing blood sugar and stimulating insulin secretion – both critical to diabetes prevention and management.  Further, consumption of green tea may even help to prevent the onset of Type 2 Diabetes, the more common and less severe form of the disease.

Bigelow Tea's Green Tea Book

More good news is that we’re becoming a more health-conscious society – at long last! The whole world seems to be “going green” and Bigelow Tea is no exception! We provide customers with a flavorful, antioxidant-filled selection of Bigelow Green Teas – some with Pomegranate, Mint or Blueberry .  Green tea is not just an enjoyable libation, it’s a healthy tonic, and diabetes prevention is on top of the list.  With all these health benefits in mind, Bigelow Tea invites all green tea advocates and aficionados to go green – so you can not only maintain a healthy life but also enjoy yourself in the process!

As our year moves into “high season” I have to say so far this has been an incredible season! How fun for a 65 year old company to be experiencing the growth we are experiencing so far.  When people ask me “our secret,” I always respond by saying that it is based on our foundation of quality first!  So even though we have a lot of fun with special promotions and getting the word out about a lot of great new teas, I think the tea consumer, when it gets down to it, really just understands a quality cup.

So to all of you that do drink Bigelow tea, keep it up, and thanks. And all of you who haven’t yet….what are you waiting for? Okay got to go but I promise to be better at blogging this winter!

Cindi Bigelow

Thanks to newfilmdimension.com and  dailymakeover.com for the Images

E! News host, Giuliana Rancic recently tweeted about green tea and trying to kick that coffee habit, saying:

Drink green tea…for energy. RT @ginahasson@GiulianaRancic Any tips for quitting coffee? Luv ur meal plan, thanks! xo Gina

A repeat tea tweeter, British TV presenter Philip Schofield mentioned a recent interview he had with author Jackie Collins, while simultaneously making tea! Now, that’s some serious multi-tasking!

Possibly most well-known for the social bookmarking website Digg, internet entrepreneur Kevin Rose has been tweeting about his daily routine.  How does he start his day? With some tea of course!

Unlike Rose, popular singers Jordin Sparks and Paramore’s Hayley Williams, like to end their days with a cup of tea.  While Williams tweeted about tea as a regular nighttime habit, Sparks is drinking to help get her body back on a normal schedule:

Still not used to going to bed while everyone is waking up. Drinking my tea then going to sleep. Got a busy schedule ahead!!

That’s all for now, but keep checking our blog for more “celebri – tea tweets!”

Originally diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998, and two more times since, I can say with total certainty that this is a disease that I am living with NOT dying from. When originally diagnosed “fabulous,” “embrace” and “opportunity” were not words I associated with Cancer. Today they are. I feel so proud to be a part of the awareness program at Norwalk Hospital and to sit beside Dr. Richard Zelkowitz breast cancer specialist whom without I would not have the inspiration to “dance’ with cancer.

For me, Cancer is considered to be a chronic disease. It is like diabetes or high blood pressure for others. I am on a lifetime maintenance drug called Herception which thankfully is working miracles for me as I have been without any recurrence in 7 years. “Cancer free” are words of hope and inspiration. Living and embracing every part of every day Living Life to the very fullest… is who I have become.

Elizabeth April-Fritz
Product Manager
Bigelow Tea

“Tea: a gift from heaven,
a spiritual beverage for humanity.”

–Henri Mariage

Orange and Spice® Hot Mulled Wine

Tea and gastronomy have long gone hand in hand. Not only is tea a lovely accompaniment to sweet and savory dishes, it is also used as a delightful ingredient in cocktails and culinary feasts – from the appetizer through to the dessert!

Bigelow Tea has a vault of tea recipes that we are happy to share with you, starting with one of our favorite appetizers:

Vietnamese Tea Rolls

INGREDIENTS:

½ pound mushrooms, diced
4 medium carrots, julienned
1 ¼ cups snow peas, stemmed, strings removed and very finely julienned
1 ¼ cup bean sprouts
4 green onions, cut into thin slivers
16 large basil leaves
16 rice paper wrappers
3 cups boiling water
10 Bigelow® Green Tea with Mint tea bags

Dipping Sauce
½ cup boiling water
6 Bigelow® Green Tea with Mint tea bags
½ cup fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Asian Chili Sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger
2 green onions, minced

Yield:                   Serves 8 (2 each)

Prep Time:         45 mins

Cook Time:         2 mins

Instructions:

Bring small saucepan of water to a boil, add mushrooms, carrots, snow peas and bean sprouts, blanch for 1 minute, and transfer to a paper towel.

Boil 3 cups (750mL) water, add 10 tea bags and let steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags. Pour tea into a low sided casserole. Cool.

To assemble rolls, soak sheets of rice paper in tea for 1 minute, carefully transfer to a paper towel, let sit 1-2 minutes or until pliable.

To assemble each roll, take a soaked wrapper, arrange 1/16th of the vegetables in a row on top of the wrapper, roll up rice paper, folding in flaps after first turn. Add one basil leaf, keep rolling. Continue until all the rolls are finished. The rolls will keep in the refrigerator for 6 hours, tightly covered. To serve cut in half on the diagonal and serve with dipping sauce.

To make sauce, pour boiling water over 6 tea bags, let steep five minutes, remove tea bags. Combine tea, lime juice, soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger and green onions. Mix well and serve with wrappers. Serve cold.

To be sure to try out some of our other mouthwatering appetizers, like Bigelow Tea’s I Love Lemon℠ Asparagus Wrapped in Smoked Salmon.  So many gastronomical nibbles, so little time…

Thanks to 50connect.co.uk for the image

Enzymes found in both green tea and black tea have germ destroying capabilities that kill the bacteria that can cause dental plaque and produce acid – the plaque and acids that help cause cavities.  With our tea working to destroy these bacteria in our mouths, we are sure to have healthier teeth and gums!

Many of us are partial to green tea because of all of additional health properties, which also includes positive effects on oral health.  This is due in part to the fact that green tea contains the antioxidant called catechins; catechins that are not only good for your teeth, but the anti-inflammatory properties of catechins can help your gums stay healthier longer.

As many of us know, good oral health is a key ingredient to maintaining a healthy body.  Maybe now is the time to try your next cup of Bigelow Tea, and treat yourself to a big smile!

The new line of four delicious and unique flavors include Pomegranate Blueberry Herb Plus, Cranberry & Ginseng Herb Plus, Wild Blueberry Acai Herb Plus and Lemon Ginger Herb Plus.

“We created this new product line to be naturally flavorful and delicious, while providing important health benefits,” says Cindi Bigelow, President of Bigelow Tea.

These products are considered food under FDA guidelines.  They are not dietary supplements.  While they contain important nutrients and support a healthy lifestyle, they are not designed to treat, cure or prevent any disease.  This line of Herb Plus teas is completely caffeine free, with low or no caloric content.

Now, consumers have four more reasons to enjoy Bigelow Tea!

The new mom has been spotted staying cool with iced tea in the California sun, as well as leaving a trendy Los Angeles Café, holding her tea! We at Bigelow just love spotting celebrities in their quiet down time, and reflective tea moments!

Thanks to buddytv.com for the image

The starlet was first made famous in her role as Willow on the hit series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Perhaps there’s something in the water on those vampire show sets.  Like we’ve mentioned before, True Blood star Ryan Kwanten is another tea drinker!

Watch this funny clip of Alyson on David Letterman recently, and catch her every week on How I Met Your Mother!