De La Casa » Norman Wells

chipotle chicken kebabs & the next adventure

christinajbartlett — Fri, 20 Sep 2013 00:44:30 +0000

The last eighteen months has flown by in Norman Wells. We’ve been through culture shock, wanderlust and extreme homesickness, sometimes all at once. We’ve experienced endless sunlight and 35˚C in summer, near-endless darkness and -45˚C in winter. We’ve grown accustomed to riding without helmets, leaving for work with 3 minutes to cycle, greeting the bank […]

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spinach & ‘shroom quinoa stir fry

christinajbartlett — Sat, 07 Sep 2013 16:35:31 +0000

I spent the last week noticing things about our town. Noticing how you receive a wave from every car that passes – the small, left-to-the-last-minute jab over the steering wheel. How you drop into the bank and get complimented on today’s lunch served at the cafe (and “oh-my-word how amazing are those Marathon Cookies!”). How […]

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curried apple quinoa salad

christinajbartlett — Thu, 22 Aug 2013 03:36:30 +0000

Eighteen months ago, while flying Canadian North up to our new home in Norman Wells, I found myself holding a magazine labeled Up Here. I skimmed through it, immediately seeking (as usual) the food section. There was none. Despite some great articles and insight into the foreign land, I did find it lacking the expected […]

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spiced apple cake cookie’wiches {with browned butter}

christinajbartlett — Mon, 05 Aug 2013 18:26:02 +0000

It seems Jesse and I complain an awful lot about being out of our comfort zone (Fresh veggies are so expensive! Our families are so far away! The midnight sun makes it hard to sleep!). We went through some early journal articles about our decision to leave New Zealand. Our main reasons for moving to […]

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twentythree & a chocolate quinoa cake

christinajbartlett — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 20:37:37 +0000

Today is my birthday, twenty three years old. This day last year Jesse and I were terribly homesick. We missed the New Zealand winter and spent the Canadian mid-summer day indoors with the curtains closed, a fireplace crackling away on YouTube and a rainy soundtrack playing. This time around we are much more accustomed to […]

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red-as-a-beet cupcakes

christinajbartlett — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 00:31:40 +0000

If you risk nothing, you gain nothing. Bear Grylls. Bear Grylls is indeed a man of influence, oozing motivation and adventurous spirit, full of powerful philosophies and reflections on life, adventure and faith. Jesse and I used to just watch Man vs Wild for a chuckle, and to be grossed out. Now we are in […]

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carrot cake cookie-wiches

christinajbartlett — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 03:47:39 +0000

Let me tell you about Soma Cafe, the space in which I currently spend my workweek. I’ve been doing this cafe for close to 2 months now. The rose tinted glasses have gone, but it still brings great satisfaction. Cooking and baking in my own space with good background music – just like in my […]

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bean & rice burger wraps

christinajbartlett — Sun, 02 Jun 2013 03:56:41 +0000

In this part of the world, seasons come all or nothing. It’s either extreme, white-out winter with piles of snow and the central heating at full tilt. Or it’s summer with endless sunlight (and thus endless heat) and the air conditioning blasting through the night. We peer out our dining room window at the road […]

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hazelnut & chocolate mousse tarts

christinajbartlett — Sat, 18 May 2013 01:37:27 +0000

The newest café in Norman Wells has been quite a hit, and a heck of a lot of fun. Improvisation and creativity have become the most powerful tools. Actually , no – passion has been the most powerful tool, the drive behind taking such a ridiculous risk to try and feed people other than friends […]

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eating well in the North

christinajbartlett — Sun, 12 May 2013 16:46:40 +0000

A common saying around here is “it’s so hard to eat well in the North!” It is. That’s a fact. It’s also hard getting up in the mornings. It’s hard to remember to send a gift for Mother’s Day 3 weeks in advance. It’s hard to bring up children (apparently). My point being, it’s not […]

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