New Items, Recipes & Specials

11/18/16 New Items

Godiva Truffles: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, asst dessert, strawberry cheesecake
Cheesecake Factory Cheesecakes: original, grand selection
Huge Whole Beef Femur Bones (looks like a dinosaur bone)

Back in Stock
McClures Garlic Dill Pickle, Spicy Dill Pickle and Bloody Mary Potato Chips (Made in Michigan)
Fresh Liver Pate and Liver Pate with Goose
Cannoli Shells
Don’t forget we have Penzeys Spices

11/11/16 About Cooking Fresh Turkeys

About Cooking a Fresh Thanksgiving Turkey

We get questions every day about cooking a fresh turkey versus a frozen turkey. There is a huge difference between a frozen turkey and a fresh turkey, both in quality and in price, but there isn’t much difference in cooking a fresh turkey and a frozen (thawed before cooking) turkey. Following is an easy “recipe” for cooking a plain fresh turkey. We’ll leave the fixin’s to you.

Remove the giblet pack from the neck cavity. To add a lot of flavor to your gravy, add the giblets and cook thoroughly.
Wash the turkey cavity and the outside of the bird – pat dry.
Allow the turkey to get to room temperature.
If you are stuffing the turkey – always stuff it loosely – about 1/2 to 3/4 cups of stuffing per pound of turkey in the cavity. Tie the drumsticks together if you are using stuffing.
Spread unmelted butter under the skin, next to the flesh of the turkey. Gently pull the skin away from the meat and find areas that you can get to the meat to spread the unmelted butter. (Best to use salted butter for this task.) You can add flavorings to the butter if you wish – mix the room temperature butter with your favorite spices or herbs before spreading under the skin. You can also add sliced mushrooms to the mixture.
Brush the skin with melted butter. If you use spices or herbs to the butter for under the skin, we suggest that you put the same herbs or spices in your melted butter.
Now is the time to make a decision on whether you want a beautiful turkey or a delicous, moist turkey. If you want a beautiful turkey, you will cook it breast up (whatever part is up will brown while cooking). If you want a delicious, moist turkey, you will cook it breast down (cooking with the breast down will allow the juices that naturally flow with gravity to flow into the breast, keeping it moist).
Preheat your oven no more than 300 to 325 degrees F. Remember that low and slow is the preferred method to cooking most meats in the oven.
Place the bird on a rack (you don’t want it resting in the liquid that it will create while cooking) in a roasting pan and into the preheated oven. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. The thermometer should point towards the body and should not touch the bone.
Bake until the skin is a light golden color and then cover loosely with a foil tent. During the last 45 minutes of baking, remove the foil tent to brown the skin. Basting is not necessary, but helps promote even browning. Use melted butter if you want to baste.
All turkeys will cook much faster if you don’t stuff it. So if you have a deadline, then you can cook the stuffing in a casserole dish and that will speed up the process of cooking the bird.
The turkey is done when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F at the thigh.
Most turkey labels have a cooking time chart. Mert’s suggests the following chart be considered, but always use a meat thermometer to determine whether your turkey is cooked sufficiently.
10 to 18 pounds unstuffed 3.5 to 4 hours stuffed 4.5 to 5 hours
18 to 22 pounds unstuffed 4 to 4.5 hours stuffed 5 to 5.5 hours
22 to 24 pounds unstuffed 4.5 to 5 hours stuffed 5.5 to 6 hours
24 to 29 pounds unstuffed 5.5 to 6 hours stuffed 6.25 to 6.75 hours
Allow the turkey to rest for at least 15 to 20 minutes before carving.

11/11/16 Specials

Okemos Seafood on Ice Holiday Special (Lansing in the freezer case) starting Friday, 11/18/16. Look for these items at very special pricing through Sunday, November 27th, just in time for your Thanksgiving festivities with friends and family!
Wild Caught Jumbo Red King Crab Legs
Wild Caught Snow Crab Clusters
Wild Caught Jumbo Sea Scallops
Wild Caught 4 oz Lobster Tails
Wild Caught 7-8 oz Large Lobster Tails
Superior Smoked Salmon and Smoked Whitefish Spread
Farm Raised Norwegian Atlantic Salmon
Farm Raised 41-50 ct Cooked Shrimp
Farm Raised 16-20 ct Cooked Shrimp
Wild Caught 31-35 ct Gulf Raw Shrimp
McCormick 8 oz Cocktail Sauce
Wild Caught Fresg Extra Select Jumbo Oysters
Great Blue Lump Crab Meat 16 oz Cans
Jonah Crab Claws

Okemos Weekend Special Friday, 11/11/16, through Monday, 11/14/16, while supplies last
Fresh All Natural Fresh Leg Quarters $.69 lb

Good Saturday, 11/12/16, through Sunday, 11/20/16
1.All Natural Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast $2.49 lb
2.Ultimate Burger Blend 75% beef/25% pork $3.99 lb – makes the greatest meatloaf!
3.Boneless Eye of Round Steak or Roast$4.99 lb
4.All Natural Whole Pork Shoulder $1.99 lb
5.All Natural Boneless Pork Shoulder Roast $2.49 lb
6.All Natural Bone-In Pork Shoulder Roast $1.99 lb
7.In the Frozen Case – 100% Grass Fed Beef Steaks – 25% off at register
New York Strip Steaks
Boneless Ribeye Steaks
Ground Beef Chuck
Filet Mignon

Good Saturday, 11/05/16, through Sunday, 11/13/16
1.Center Cut Boneless New York Strip Steak $10.99 lb
2.End Cut Boneless New York Strip Steak $9.99 lb
3.Hickory Smoked Regular Sliced & Thick Sliced Bacon $4.99 lb
4.Fresh All Natural Ground Pork $1.99 lb
5.All Natural Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast $2.99 lb
6.Fresh Ground Beef Chuck $4.49 lb
7.$1 off Crusted Tilapia 2 packs
Tortilla Chipotle
Coconut Mango
Pecan
Parmesan Herb
Roasted Garlic
8. In the Frozen Case – 100% Grass Fed Beef Steaks – take 25% off at register
New York Strip Steaks
Boneless Ribeye Steaks
Ground Beef Chuck
Filet Mignon

11/11/16 New Items

Check out these ready for the holidays new items at Mert’s
Crosse & Blackwell’s Chutneys: Major Grey’s, Cranberry, Hot Mango
Win Schuler’s Original Cheddar Cheese Balls
Cabot Hot Buffalo Wing Cheddar Cheese
Mont Chevre Cranberry Cinnamon Mini Log Goat Cheese
Reny Picot Slicing Rectangle Brie Cheese (Made in Michigan)
Reny Picot Slicing Rectangle Brie with Herbs (Made in Michigan)
Reny Picot Baked Brie with Cherries & Almonds (Made in Michigan)
Alessi Balsamic Vinegars: Original, White, Raspberry Blush, Pear Infused
Alessi Balsamic Reductions: Raspberry Infused, White Balsamic, Traditional
Roland Quinoa Mixes: Garden Vegetable, Roasted Garlic, Black Bean
Valley Produce Crackerthins: with Parmesan, with Black Pepper
Yancey Fancy Cheddar Cheeses: Champagne, Strawberry Chardonnay
Coombe Castle Devon Cream English Butter
Coombe Castle Cheeses: with Cinnamon, with Apricot, with Cranberry
Snowdonia Bouncing Cranberry Cheddar Cheese
Natural Value Organic Tomato Paste
Alaskan Snow Legs and Cocktail Sauce
Greenfields Unsalted Irish Butter
Mooville Egg Nog (Made in Michigan)

11/5/16 Specials

Both Okemos and Lansing Stores Friday, 11/4/16, through Tuesday, 11/8/16
Fiesta Time Corn Tortilla Chips (you may know them as La Fiesta) Buy one bag, get one bag at 1/2 price

Seafood on ice at the Okemos Store only Friday, 11/04/16, through Sunday, 11/06/16
1.Farm Raised USA Little Neck Clams
2.Ahi Yellowfin Tuna Loin Steaks – Sashimi Grade
3.Wild Caught Chilean Sea Bass
4.Wild Caught Red Grouper
5.Wild Caught In-Shell Chesapeake Medium Oysters

Okemos Weekend Special Friday, 11/04/16, through Monday, 11/07/16, while supplies last
All Natural Fresh Leg Quarters $.69 lb

Good Saturday, 10/29/16, through Sunday, 11/06/16
1.Fresh Ground Beef Sirloin $4.99 lb
2. Ultimate Burger Blend 75% beef/25% pork $3.99 lb – makes the greatest meatloaf!
3.Boneless Beef Stew Meat $4.99 lb
4.All Natural Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast $2.99 lb