My love affair

Don’t get too excited, this isn’t my personal rendition of 50 Shades of Gray. No dirty stories, so feel free to read on, Mom!

Instead, I’m actually going to talk to you about food.

While my blog wasn’t originally intended to review specific restaurants, I have to take some time out to talk about a local cafe that has captured my taste buds and has created an obsession for pretzel bread and killer margaritas. Before I reveal the name of the restaurant, I’d like to share with you a few personal feelings I have about food.

Some of you are going to know exactly what I’m talking about. Some of you will nod your head and mm hmm out loud with the understanding of what I’m saying. All of the others, please keep reading anyway, you may find yourself amused.

Those of you who get what I’m saying, I know what you’re thinking: Food. Dreaded food. Food is what tightens our jeans around our waist, it taunts and teases us saying, “You can’t eat me!” It laughs in our face and makes us hate ourselves. Food has definitely gotten the better of me at times.

I have hated myself for eating an entire box of Girl Scout cookies, polishing off enough clam dip to feed a small nation, and eating my leftover (usually deep fried) doggie bag mere minutes after walking through my door. Cold. With my fingers. From the fridge when no one is looking. I have no shame when it comes to food.

I have eaten a lot of yummy tasting food only to immediately start calling myself names because of it. I’m not sure what happened to make me feel guilty when I enjoy the food that I love. I’m pretty sure that it has to do with the idea that I need to be perfect and 124 pounds, which I’m far from.

But, I have come to terms with this fact. I have gained weight. It doesn’t mean that there shouldn’t be a balance in my life, though. I can’t eat carrot sticks and Chobani for the rest of my life.

Although I hate all of you people who can.

Okay, so, back to enjoying food.

My husband and I hit up this small cafe every now and then. The woman who owns it catered our wedding and has charmed our little town with foods that I never could have imagined gracing Main Street in Fort Kent. We now have a place that serves quinoa and gourmet specials. We have a place that makes such amazing desserts, you can taste the love (and real butter) that holds them together. This place is not only amazing for its food, though. It has a certain culture and charm. It has various menus for different nights and even has an open mic night to encourage artistry.

This place is no other than our very own Custom Cake Cafe owned by Samantha Berry.

Many of you reading this know where this place is, but some of you don’t. If you don’t I strongly encourage you to find Millers and look across the street to check any of her nights out. Wednesday is Pub Night (my fave), Thursday is Mexican Night (holy amazing guacamole, Batman!), while Friday and Saturday have her regular evening menu. Her menus are so diverse that anyone’s taste buds can be pleased.

So, my hubby and I attended Pub Night and, while I was there, I probably absorbed a thousand calories because of her amazing margaritas and exquisite food. While it’s important that we get date night, It’s also pivotal that I learn to enjoy this.

By enjoying it, I have to let go of my self hatred when I eat amazing foods. Food is important. It is part of our culture, it’s who we are. While I have always had a love/ hate relationship with it, I’ve learned to love it- in moderation, of course. We order an appetizer, my favorites being the pub fry mix, rotisserie wings, and the reuben egg rolls (OH MY GOD!) and split an entree. We order the salmon with mango salsa because is TO DIE FOR! It’s served with (amazinggggg) rice and this (incredible) brussel sprout slaw. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! This food makes me enjoy and savor every bite.

This food has helped me. In my fight between hatred and admiration for the stuff, I’ve learned that admiration wins. When we learn to enjoy what we love without letting it ruin us is when we find true happiness. My husband and myself love food- and to deny that part of me is denying who I am.

I will not let food rule me, though. I will not let it make me hate myself. I will, however, take control of it. I will control the foods that enter my body, my temple. I will opt for healthy, whole foods when I can.

I may also eat fried food on occasion, I may even dig my hands into a bag of greasy chips then dip it in creamy clam dip, I may go through the drive through and enjoy a burger.  I will, without a doubt, copy recipes I see on tv and make food that encompases an entire day’s worth of recommended calories. There will be days I drink margaritas until I can’t stand. But, I will also eat nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, and drink green tea. I will balance my healthy days with my non. I will burn extra calories to encompass my passion. Food and drink is who I am. But, just like my love (hate) for food, exercise is a huge part of me. Because of my mutual feelings for food and health, I will not stop cooking, eating, or living.

As a final note, if you live within 50 miles of Fort Kent, I challenge you to visit Custom Cake Cafe on a Wednesday (or  Thursday or Friday or Saturday) night. You won’t regret it. The food makes you stop and enjoy it. It is a gem and the ambiance is incredible. The weekly lunch is also phenomenal, however, Samantha Berry’s dinners are beyond that. Do it for yourself- just climb the ski tow before you go. Those calories won’t feel so bad afterward 🙂

Eat something yummy (at Custom Cake Cafe) today!

Claire Pelletier

About Claire Pelletier

I'm 30. Boy am I 30. I have three children: Shelby (almost 8), Harper (3), and Aidan (1). I work full time as an English teacher, full time as a mom, part time as a wife, part time as a cook at a Diner (this is actually a paid position), and a per diem house cleaner. Basically, I do it all. Oh and I like to write (revert back to my full time teaching position). This life is crazy, people are even crazier, and online blogging has given me a voice. Some may think it's a loud and obnoxious voice, but I kind of like it. I do my best to write about things that interest people, mainly about myself. Sometimes I verge into the political land, but that place scares me, so I mostly write about every day things that make me laugh, cry, or scream. Thanks for reading!