A visit to Lehmans in Kidron, Ohio

My DH and I have an ongoing joke about where heaven on earth is - he thinks it's Wal-Mart and I of course think it's HOME at Shalom Engedi Farm.  Well - I may have a runner up - Lehman's in Kidron, Ohio. I've been wanting to visit Lehman's for several years and this week we did.

Lehmans in Kidron, Ohio

Lehman's promotes itself as the non-electric store.  The store that Amish people shop at - and they do - we saw some folks there.  (Would it terribly politically incorrect to say I saw the cutest little Amish girl in the store with a black bonnet and a black cape - too bad - I did it anyway!) They have everything you can imagine for life without electricity - beautiful Elmira cookstoves, woodstoves of every kind, tools, kerosene lights, kitchen equipment and other ABSOLUTELY-NECESSARY kitchen gadgets, canning and gardening items, toys and on and on. 


I went with the express purpose of checking out the manual grain grinders.  A Country Living Grain Mill has been on my list for several years but shipping from the States is expensive and only recently have I found a Canadian supplier.  Buying something THAT expensive (over $500.00) having never seen it or used it was ONE of the reasons we went - I wanted to try them all out. They had every make I had ever heard about...and that was the problem...someone else had mentioned awhile back that if I ever had the chance to try out the Dimant Hand Mill that nothing-else-would-do.



It's fully cast iron and very heavy - and it's gonna-look-great in my kitchen!!  I've woke up thinking about it the last few days - tells you how far gone I am! 

An article on Squidoo has this to say: Scientists have revealed some shocking truth about packaged flour ... Reports say that 50% of the nutritional value of grain is lost within first 24 hours of making flour, and of the remaining; another 50% is lost within the next three days.  (http://www.squidoo.com/diamant-grain-mill)

That's why storing flour long term doesn't make sense.  It may not go rancid for 4 months - the estimated shelf life I was given from Grain Process in Toronto - but 3/4 of the nutritional quality is basically missing after the first week!  Something to think about huh?  That's why I store wheat kernels, spelt and kamut kernels and other grains in their whole and natural form.  God made them with a protective coating so the would stay fresh - the same protective coating I talked about in my fermenting post.

I also purchased some Tattler canning lids.  I've been wanting to try these for a few years.  Most people I've talked to about them seem to think they're great - their biggest feature is that they are re-usable - no more throw away lids!  I can't wait to try them out.



I added a few more pieces to my spatterware collection - in RED - of course!



My daughter found a great kit for making oil lamps out of canning jars and olive oil that we're excited to try - a great way to use up old oil.  I'll post some pictures when we get it set up.

We spent almost 2 hours in the store just looking and planning the list for the next visit.  I need to save a serious chunk of money first. (or rather again!)

You can join me and drool here:  http://www.lehmans.com