Memories of Mom, Hot Tea Mornings, and Green Tea Cheesecake {recipe}
This shop, featuring a Green Tea Cheesecake recipe, has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #TeaProudly #CollectiveBias
Cold mornings and hot tea, what could be better? Whenever I think of tea, I think of family and gathering together for making memories. One of my fondest memories of my mom is her hot tea mornings of quiet and reflection to start the day. Then, I think of iced tea with dinner around the table where we talked about our days and ate as a family. These days, when I think of tea, I think of my husband’s famous green tea cheesecake recipe and today I wanted to share with you this dessert that will knock your socks off and make you think of tea in a new way.
When I was young, my mom was the ideal mom. She was supportive and caring and I always knew I could talk to her about anything. She may have been a little OCD with her cleaning and routines, but that is what I loved about her. She also loved tea. Every morning, she would brew a pot of tea and enjoy a cup or two of hot tea and enjoy the quietness of the clean home before the hustle and bustle of getting three kids ready for school and herself and my dad ready for work. On the occasional morning, I was allowed to wake up with her and enjoy my own cup of steaming hot tea, doctored up with cream and sugar, and sit and talk (or just sit and relax) with her about the day ahead of us. It was a peaceful time in my life and I wish I had soaked it up a little more, but even though I was young, I recognized that it was a special treat to enjoy this time with my mom, uninterrupted by siblings or other conversations. It was just mom and me.
Now that I’m a mom, I hope to have moments like this with my son that he can remember for years to come. I think of my hot tea mornings with Mom and I want to create a special bond with my son that he can share with his children some day. This is where Bigelow tea comes in. It’s the perfect choice, my only choice, for making memories with tea because of the variety of flavors and their strong image of family, generations, and making memories. Did you know that tea is second, only to water, as the most widely consumed beverage in the world. 82% of Americans drink tea and tea is now considered “trendy”. Drinking tea is becoming a proud American tradition…and I would love to think that means my mom was a pioneer in her day!
To begin this new tradition with my son, I went to Walmart to choose some Bigelow tea flavors that we would enjoy. I chose green tea for him (and for the upcoming cheesecake recipe) and vanilla chai for me (to kickstart my day with a little caffeine). There are so many great benefits of green tea that will be great for my boy, but that’s a whole other post for another time.
I love the smooth, spicy flavor of the vanilla chai and he loves the fresh taste of the green tea to warm his body for a new day of learning in the third grade. During our hot tea mornings, my boy and I talk about how our days are going to go and what new adventures we will take. It’s calming and really gets our days off to a great start. This is how we’ve learned to Tea Proudly together!
Now, you may be thinking that I’ve been talking a lot about weight loss and eating right, exercise and getting fit, so why am I choosing to write about Green Tea Cheesecake today? Well, everybody needs to treat themselves from time to time, for one, but this cheesecake was actually made as a game day treat for my dad’s Big Game party. Howard and I enjoyed a small piece, but it was gone before we knew it at the party and was loved by many. Sorry to those of you who didn’t get to it in time!
So…I’m sure by now, you are ready to try this Green Tea Cheesecake recipe on your own. Here’s how to do it:
What you’ll need:
For crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 tbsp sugar
2/3 cup butter, melted
For cheesecake:
1 1/2 cups sour cream
3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1/4 cup flour
3 – 8oz. cream cheese
2 tbsp. butter, softened
1/2 cup brewed Bigelow Green Tea
What you’ll do:
For the crust, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter and mix. Press into bottom of 9 inch spring-form pan and about 1 inch up the side. Bake for 10 minutes on 350° F.
For the cheesecake, brew 1/2 cup of water with 4 Bigelow Green Tea bags. Combine all ingredients and mix until smooth. Pour into crust and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes on 350° F.
That throwback photo is adorable! What sweet memories you have of drinking tea with your mom. I think it’s a great idea to start that tradition with your son. I plan to do the same with my 6-year-old daughter and so far, have gotten her a special bone china tea cup. We’ve yet to find a flavor she likes though! Yummy looking cheesecake, too! #client