Mom & Me Tea; a West Baden Lifestyle Offering

on

Dyan Duncan

Tammi Hodge (left) enjoys tea with
daughter Bonnie and granddaughters
Emma and Norah
Tammi Hodges of Bloomfield, IN, has been having tea parties with her granddaughters Norah &Emma since they were old enough to hold the toy tea cup. Tea at Grandma's was always a proper affair with real china cups and sugar cubes (I didn’t even know they made those anymore!) Grandpa Hodges says the girls had been training for years for their afternoon date last Wednesday.

This time, the tea party moved into the world-famous dome at West Baden Springs Hotel. Tammi brought the girls, their mom, and friend Michelle with her daughter Ella for the new West Baden Lifestyle offering “Mom & Me Tea.” The weekly offering (now through April 19) offers girls, and boys, a chance to experience proper English Tea.


Ella's Mom helps Norah try 
the different teas
Chef Ethan Smith, a proud father of a five year old princess, knew that the salmon, cucumber and chicken salad finger sandwiches on the standard tea menu would not be something his daughter would eat, so he revamped the menu to accommodate the younger palates. PB&J it is, with “ants on a log” followed up by cake pops, sugar cookies and a brownie.  The big people can still have that fancy food…"what is clotted cream, anyway?" But the kids will feel right at home with their fun finger foods. Five different teas, served in custom West Baden teapots, are brought to the table to introduce the kids to different flavor combinations.

Ella remarked that the whole experience made her feel like she was in the castle on “Downtown Abbey,” as she called it. They sure dressed the part; the trio of pint-sized fashionistas pre-planned their outfits to match the occasion.  



The Belcher family planned to attend the
Mom & Me Tea during their Spring Break visit
 
Just a table over was the Belcher family from Valparaiso down for Spring Break. This “girls trip” included mom Katie, her sister Erin and Grandma Chris. I have to say the most stylish at the table were four year- old Morgan and eight year-old Kallie. Their fascinators were the ideal accessory for such an affair. Daughter Kallie said she loved the experience. Dressing up was her favorite part. They sipped, swirled and sashayed the afternoon away making memories that will last a lifetime.
Little girls dressed to the nines, a remarkable setting often called the “Eighth Wonder of the World” and proper afternoon tea - what more could you ask for?

Mom & Me Tea is available on Wednesdays
Isn't that fascinator fabulous?