Addendum added 9/15/06
"Due to an overwhelming response from people who don't have an online journal, we invite you to post right in the thread regarding your experience with SBS Teas over the years.
You don't have to have an online journal. BUT if you do have one, and you post there, you get 2 entries instead of one per week starting this week.
Hurry Week 2 is almost over!"

*****
Everybody loves a contest right? Well, okay, almost everybody. We know from past experience that our SBS Teas customers definitely love them. And if you have been around awhile, you know that we haven't had one in ages, so this will be an awesome one to make up for lost time!

The contest is pretty simple. All you have to do is Blog about SBS Teas during the month of September. What? Blog? Yep that is it! There must be a catch right? Right, there is, but it is small and worth it!

What are the prizes?

Well, it really depends on you! The more people who post about SBSteas.com, the more prizes we add. So, once you have posted, tell your friends about the contest so they can post on their blogs too. If your friends haven't had an SBS Teas experience yet, they have the whole month of September to make one! They can make a purchase, or being the kind and generous friend that you are, you could give them an SBS Teas Gift Certificate! OR if you haven't purchased from us, but have items you would love to try, you can blog about those too! :)


As the blog posts about SBS grow, so does the treasure trove of prizes!
We are going to start out the contest with the following items:

2 - $50.00 Gift Certificates
4 - $25.00 Gift Certificates
2 - Tea Starter Packs

Waiting stage left are a multitude of other prizes eager to be added, including but not limited to:

Yxing Tea Pots (will be pictured when added)
Complete Tea Sets (will be pictured when added)
$100.00 Gift Certificate to SBS Teas
Free Perks Club Memberships
Tea of course!
Tea Accessories
and much more!

Only you can determine how many of these choice prizes will be available to win. Remember, the more prizes, the greater your chances of winning! New Prizes will be added once a week according to the volume of new blog posts.

Who, what, where and how to enter:
You must have your own blog either via your own site, Blogger, LiveJournal, WordPress, Xanga, MSN spaces, My Space etc. etc. If you don't have a blog, have fun and create your own at any of the sites above! It is typically free, and fun to do.

So, what do you have to write about?

Your blog posts must be at least 2 or more paragraphs long and talk about your favorite SBS Teas products, service experiences, friends and connections you have made as a result of being part of the SBS family, memories you have created with others as a result of being a part of our family...pretty much any positive experience relative to your experience with us over the years. We ask that your posts contain links to http://www.sbsteas.com and have relevant links to products or areas of the SBS Teas website where they are available. You must have at least one link in your post to our site. If you haven't purchased from us, but have items you would love to try, you can blog about those too!

Once you have your blog entry created, come back to this entry and post your blog and the link to your posting. All posts are moderated. Once we verify that your blog entry is on your site and meets the contest criteria, we will add your blog post here so others can get to know you and visit your blog too. That's it! It is that easy!

Wait! There's more, it gets even better!! You can post once a week about us in your blog to have additional entries for a total of 4 chances to win a prize. Of course you can post more than that, but you only receive the four entries. :)

If you choose to link to a photo from our site, please do NOT hot-link the image (i.e. save the image to your webhost or a free photo site like Flickr).

A BIG thank you to Vivian Cheng of Blend Creations for the awesome idea for our contest. Check out her site, and show her some love. She has some of the most gorgeous Washi Pendants. Tell her we sent you!

On October 1, 2006, winners will be randomly chosen from the magical tea pot from all those who entered. The winners will be notified via email, and we'll announce the winners on our site the first week of October along with their blog site. One prize per person per blog. The blog you post on must be yours. Multiple people posting in a blog are not eligible, only the owner. If you have multiple blogs, you can write different blog posts, and enter each of those. The posts DO have to be different and you can only submit a maximum of 3 blog sites. We will not approve or accept any blog posts from sex sites, abusive sites, anybody who promotes hatred, racism, bigotry, sexual intolerance against any race creed or religion, SPAM, link farms and sites that we feel are a conflict of interest. Don't join and don't ask. We hold the right to reject any entry as we see fit for any reason with or without warning. In the event that you win, you must provide your first and last name, a valid email address and mailing address that we can ship your prize to. Entries outside of Canada and the US are permitted -- we just need to be able to mail to you. Certain countries have restrictions on what can be shipped. Entrants who live in states, provinces or countries that prohibit them from claiming free prizes via the internetet or have other restrictions, will not be eligible to win.

Ingredients:
3 small eggs (2 large eggs)
1 2/3 cup flour
2/3 cup sugar
2/5 cup butter
1 tbsp matcha powder (green tea powder)
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsps chocolate chips

Preparation:
Put butter in a bowl and stir well until soften. Add sugar in the bowl and mix well. Whisk eggs in another bowl. Mix eggs and butter mixture together. Sift flour, baking powder, and green tea powder together. Add flour in the egg and butter mixture and mix. Add chocolate chips in the bowl and mix together. Spread some butter and place baking wax paper inside of a medium loaf pan.
Pour batter into the pan. Bake in preheated 325 F oven for 30-40 minutes.
Remove and allow to cool. Cut and serve with your favorite SBS Teas Green Tea!
Makes 4 servings

A recent study conducted by Holland's National Institute of Public Health and Environment has concluded an interesting and revealing study on one of my favorite foods, chocolate! And who knows chocolate better than the Dutch, with the exception of the Aztecs. Their conclusion was that "Chocolate contains up to four times the anti-oxidants found in tea.". The researchers specifically found dark chocolate contains 53.5 mg catechins (our favorite anti-oxidant!) per 100 grams. In comparison the average cup of green tea can have up to 42 mg of catechins.

While chocolate is apparently slightly higher on the anti-oxidant scale, it is not far behind our beloved green tea.

Scientific research has only begun to scratch the surface of the numerous potential health benefits of green tea. Many of us have read about the benefits of green tea and cancer related illness. But what about the other chronic diseases millions of people struggle with every day of their lives? Case in point, a study by Cleveland's Western Reserve University concluded that "drinking four or more cups of green tea per day could help prevent rheumatoid arthritis, or reduce symptoms in individuals already suffering from the disease."


On a sweeter note, what many of us have secretly dreamed of is now a reality, proven with scientific research! Chocolate is healthy, does it make it a health food? I say yes! Partnered with green tea, how can any healthy diet go wrong? You be the judge. Start your new diet today with this tasty recipe! Still a bit skepticalal about chocolate? We have the perfect solution for you! Our line of wildly popular chocolate teas, has wonderful selection of chocolate flavored green teas!

Including these SBS Teas favorites:

Chocolate Orange Truffle Green Tea
Temple of Chocolate
Bavarian Chocolate Cream Green Tea
Chocolate Mint Green Tea

Word down the peach vine from Hungry Girl, is that August is national Peach Month!

Lets celebrate. Who loves peach? ME! me me! Fresh peaches, peach juice, canned peaches and of course peach tea.
Next time you are enjoying a glass of SBS Peach Tea, try this yummy experiment, sweeten up your lovely brew by adding a bit of peach juice to your tea (hot or iced). MMMM
What are your favorite peach foods and beverages???

The peach or "Prunus persica", the scientific name of the peach, suggests that peaches came from Persia, but China is actually the peach's original home. Peaches were originally from an area near the city of Xian, China. They were cultivated in China at least 3,000 years ago. Wild peaches, called "Maotao" or "Yietao", still grow in remote areas of China. Peaches spread to Russia and Persia (present-day Iran) probably because Chinese traders dropped peach pits along their trade routes. Alexander the Great and his armies found the peaches in Persia and brought them to Greece. Most Europeans assumed that peaches came from Persia. Throughout the next centuries, peaches were spread all over Europe. The Spanish brought peaches to America.
Today, the peach is grown in at least 64 countries worldwide. The U.S. produces about 20% of the world's peaches.

In other news.....like many ancient traditions, the succulent peach has mystical attributes, and supposedly brings luck, abundance and protection. Dumplings shaped like peaches were often a special treat for birthday celebrations. Even the wood of the peach tree was carved into protective amulets in some countries. Today, brides in China carry peach blossoms which represent beauty, affection and fertility.

As well put by T.S. Eliot "Do I dare to eat a peach?". Here at SBS Teas, we say, yes, embrace and drink your peaches!

Stop by the website and type the word Peach into the search box and see our selection of over 15 types of peach teas, tisanes and goodies!