High Time for Tea

If you had ever told me that my kids would enjoy going to High Tea at a castle, I don't know that i would have believed it. Of course my princess has dreamed of doing something like that all her life. But her brothers are a completely different story. For all the tea parties at my house that they ruined for their sister and laughed about for days afterward I was surprised at how much they enjoyed our trip to Ashford Castle. But it did have something for everyone.

First of all the tea, or course. An array of every kind of tea you can imagine was offered and they each picked their own. Then came the food. Two three-tiered brass racks of china plates, laden with small sandwiches. Chicken salad, cucumber, and smoked salmon. They ate their fill.

Then those brass racks were reloaded with unbelievable pastries. They ranged from tiny fruit tarts to bites of cheesecake, chocolate cake and lemon meringue. Those were followed by freshly baked scones complete with lemon curd and clotted cream.

And they all enjoyed every bite. And afterward we were able to roam the grounds, see the fountains and the gardens, explore the towers, and see the falconry. It really was amazing.

Maybe if I have granddaughters some day I'll step up the game from chocolate chip cookies and cocoa to something a bit more sophisticated. It's something to consider.