A Trip to a New Health Foods Store - An afternoon in Lancaster PA at Shady Maple and Miller’s Natural Food Store

Last week was Grandma’s birthday, so we piled into the car and drove up to Shady Maple Smorgasbord in Lancaster, PA to share a family meal. Shady Maple is a great place to celebrate, as they offer a free meal on your birthday, can accommodate large groups, and their endless smorgasbord offers lots of choices for everyone. It was fun to visit with the family and we love to shop in the Shady Maple Farm Market where I usually pick up inexpensive bulk items. This trip we stocked up on a lot of fresh produce and bulk spices, so I was super happy we stopped in.

The grandparents had to jet off to another get together, so we ended up with their free birthday super whoopie pies from the Shady Maple Farm Market bakery. They’re gigantic and yummy, but I’m definitely sending those babies into work with my husband to share so we don’t eat them all ourselves!

Whoopie Pies - A Pennsylvania Dutch specialty that consists of two mounds of chocolate cakey goodness that sandwich a creamy vanilla filling to create a truly decadent treat.  Whoopie Pies are also available in other flavor combinations such as red velvet or pumpkin, but the original is not to be missed.  Whoopie Pies are another great birthday freebie from Shady Maple!

Typically this would be the end of our afternoon in Lancaster County, but I decided to do a little internet research and found a health food store called Miller’s Natural Foods located in Bird in Hand,   PA at 2888 Miller Lane that sells fresh organic produce, organic bulk items, vitamins and supplements, and a variety of natural care products. I was most interested in the organic bulk items and local fresh produce. You never know what to expect when you find a place online, so I didn’t have my hopes up. This one turned out to be a real winner! I purchased a few bulk items at exceptional prices and will definitely be heading back to this store. The store is Amish owned and operated, so it is closed Sundays and they only accept cash.

Here’s what we purchased on our first visit to Miller’s Natural Food Store:

Organic Buckwheat Flour – Great for homemade pancakes and waffles.
Organic Blue Corn Flour – I'll admit I’ve never used this before, but I’m going to try to make homemade blue corn tortillas! I think my 2 year old will love blue tortillas.
Organic Steel Cut Oats – A breakfast favorite around here and the best price I’ve paid for these at only $0.85/lb.
Organic Unsulphured Unsweetened Coconut Flakes – I love to stick coconut into smoothies! My husband uses coconut to top oatmeal. And of course it’s yummy in baked treats.
Organic Sesame Seeds – We use these to make homemade hummus. They are also great sprinkled on top stir frys.
Organic Produce - Bibb Lettuce

It was a terribly rainy day, so I didn’t snap any pictures at Miller's Natural Foods Store. When we return, I’ll be sure to take a few pictures and do an official write up for anyone else looking for more information. If you're planning a visit to Lancaster Pennsylvania, this store is definitely a great find that I highly recommend!