The Plain People

Be not forgetful to enterain strangers: for therby some have enterained angles unawares.

Herbrews 13:2

Yesterday, my husband and I visited Lancaster County, PA. For those of you who don’t know, the county is known as the land of the plain people, the Amish. While on the early morning drive through Myerstown, Reistville and Lititz, we saw the people of the Amish faith hard at work in their fields, doing household chores and on their way to market or school. Looking over one valley, we saw dozens of silos reaching toward the blue and not a electical pole or wire insight.


Even though we don't live far away, it’s been almost seven years since we last walked through the small village of Intercourse. While many of the shops hugging the main intersection in town have become somewhat commercialized with items other than Amish wares, there are still many stores where you can find the real deal. You just have walk a little further down the streets.

The old country store houses beautiful quilts, wall quilts, which I drooled over. We scoured cookbooks and DH drooled over the Pennsylvania canned goods. We stocked up on a few items, like hot horse-radished mustard, beets and chow chow. In the bookstore next store (Yes. I couldn’t help myself and my DH couldn’t stop me) I bought Beverly Lewis’s THE SECRET. I wanted to read the story before, but there was something about buying the book in the area of which it is written. I can’t wait to get started. (FYI: I have no intention of writting this genre. I'm going to enjoy the book as a reader. Now if I could meet her and have her sign the book.)

My Hubby led me by the hand out of the wood making shop. It had beautiful furniture and wood items which would go perfectly in our home. He didn't buy my plea, but maybe he got some Christmas gift ideas. YEAH!


After checking out all the stores in the buzzing little town, we headed to Bird In Hand, just west on Route 340 where we spent hours in the country store there. I found items, I haven’t seen in years. I brought a few kitchen items home to use making the Amish recipes.

Since it was 94°, unusual for this time of year, we enjoyed large cones of Turkey Hill ice cream, which is made locally. We watched a few Amish children scooting on their scooter bikes, carrying groceries in the baskets in front. I listened to my DH as he spoke Pennsylvania Dutch to a gentleman. We’re both of German decent and even though I can’t speak the language, remarkably I can understand some of it. I do throw papa down the stairs his hat a few times a year. ANd we make out the light often.

Also, in Bird In Hand, DH got his prize for the day, a homemade shoo-fly pie. It was 94 degrees, I did mentioned that right? I was not going home and bake.


It was a very long day, but one we will remember. We hope to repeat our visit in cooler temps later this fall.

Here is a recipe my DH mother used to make their family as a boy. I hope you enjoy, as we do now.


Rival Soup:

8 cups of milk
2 Tlb of butter
Heat to simmer
1 1/3 cup flour
1 egg
3 Tlb of butter
1 ½ teas of salt
Mix together and whip batter smooth
Pour batter through a colander into simmering milk. Turn heat down. Cook slowly for about 3 minutes . Add salt, pepper and parsley.
Soup should be eaten immediately after cooking.



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