Country Smoke House

On our travels back from the weekend wedding festivities,  Mr. & I were both were feeling rather lethargic.  We had a three hour drive ahead of us and all I wanted to do was click my heels and be home!  About 20 minutes into our route along M-53 just north of downtown Almont, Michigan, we simultaneously noticed a gigantic steer statue standing near the road.  Neither of us said a word, we both just knew that this was a stop for us!  

Turns out the place is called Country Smoke House - and we quickly learned it was well-worth the visit.  Getting out of the car, I instantly felt better.  I was so overly stimulated - not knowing where to look or what to touch first.  I literally wandered the market a good 15 times before settling on what I was bringing back with me.  Thankfully, I always travel with a cooler and they just happened to sell ice - nice! 

Finding high quality meat - as I always say, "Raised with Love",  in my area is no easy task. Having relationships with farmers you trust is key, but you are on their schedule - with limited choices.  I, unfortunately, do not have a "Whole Foods" in my backyard.  And, unless Mr. hunts/fishes it, finding fresh wild game is nearly impossible.  This place had you covered...a variety of meats including a whole slew of wild game!  From fresh wild caught fish to pheasant, to venison, and SO much more - they had all my desires covered.

Not everything in the store was "clean" by any means BUT a big part of eating clean includes eating a lean protein at every meal.  I'm ULTRA picky about meat and refuse to support farmers who treat their animals like lab rats! Not only does the mistreatment of animals break my heart, but I also have no desire to consume the added antibiotics and/or hormones. Unless I know the details - where it came from, the overall day to day treatment, how it was killed, cleaned, packaged...I won't eat it.  Needless to say, I was so excited to be able to bring home new protein choices to add to the menu - ones I can feel good about consuming! 

If you are ever in the area, I highly suggest you stop in and load up on goodies to stock the freezer. Everyone is super friendly, helpful, and will answer any question - trust me I asked enough to know!

Don't forget the cooler! 

I, of course, ran right for the produce! :)

It's a bit fuzzy, but this is shot from when you walk in the door.  I was so overly stimulated...wasn't sure where to start!

Huge variety of "Raised with Love" meats & wild game - wish I would of had a bigger cooler on me!

Mr. placing a order from their roadside outdoor BBQ hut.

It's surely hard to miss the place!

Mr. surprised me by picking up this "Wild Game Simple" cookbook.  While the recipes aren't all necessarily clean - with just a few tweaks I know I can make them "my" way easily!

Mmm Smoked Wild Caught Whitefish! And, no I'm not really going to eat it like this :)

Showing the inside of the smoked whitefish...

Keep it Clean & Enjoy the Ride,

Mrs. Skinny Fat