Anouchka's Favorites of 2016 and 2017

Here we are again at the start of another year.  I can honestly say that I feel as though last year passed the most speedily of those in my adult life.  I know we all say that time flies, but I really feel like it did in 2017.  A lot happened.  I mean a lot happened.  We became parents for the second time at the end of 2016 and spent the bulk of Bathrobe's first year in 2017; I had major surgeries in mid-spring; Bathrobe's adoption was finalized this summer; Habibi and I went on a little getaway road trip together; Chicky started pre-school; we went to a gala; we added extra French classes at work, altering my teaching load; our family planned a few staycation weekends; I read a lot; we discovered they sell my favorite kombucha in giant bottles; my grey hairs multiplied exponentially; I had a much needed girls' weekend with my mom and sister.  For real, these are just a few of the big events, highlights, and major activities of 2017.

Without sharing every detail of each event of my life over the past year, please allow me to just list some of my new favorite discoveries in my latest "Best of ___" list.  Just like my Favorites of 2015...four months late post, this will be a compilation of things that I liked or discovered during recent months, although they may not be at all "new" in the big picture.  Luckily for you, this post will include things from both 2016 and 2017, since I didn't make you poor souls a list last year.  You're welcome.

So here it is:  Anouchka's Favorites of 2016 AND 2017

Film/TV

• Beauty and the Beast
  This Disney classic is probably one of my top two (if not #1) favorite animated films.  When I saw that they were making a live action version of it in 2017 (starring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens), I had mixed feelings.  I was not a fan of the live action Cinderella movie from a couple of years ago, so I had low expectations for this one.  To my surprise and delight, I absolutely fell in love with this movie.  I sat in the theater like an idiot, wide-eyed and mouth gaping, staring at the screen in awe.  The movie expands just a tad on the original, fleshing out a few plot points but, ultimately, I felt that it honored the spirit of the beloved animated version.  The music.  The effects.  The color.  The cinematography.  It swept me off my feet.  If I'm PMSing when I watch it, I might tear up because "it's just so beautifuuuuuullll!" *sob sob sob*
  
  However, if I'm being totally honest, the thing that spoke to me the most about this flick was a new perspective on Belle.  I'm not talking about the filmmakers or the cast portraying her differently, but more of a change in my own personal view of her character.  In the past, I always just lumped her with all of the other princesses like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, or Snow White: white damsels in distress.  Now, I love a good classic European fairy tale just as much as the next girl, but I always felt more of a kindred spirit in Jasmine, because she was Arabic and mouthy.  (Sound familiar?)  Anyway, I finally looked at Belle for the true outcast that she was in her village, and suddenly felt more like this character than perhaps any other in cinematic history.  She is a loner.  A bookworm.  A nerd.  These are all attributes that I feel I possess and embody.  Throughout my life, I have always struggled to feel like I "fit in" in any group of friends.  Be it a result of my interests, personal beliefs, or simply my inability to say the right thing at the right time, I have always felt like an outsider.  I would rather read a book alone than socialize (most of the time) and -while I am certainly capable of monopolizing a conversation- I don't often bare my soul.  I finally saw this character as the unlikely hero of the story rather than as the victim, as the underdog who comes out on top and not the flawless princess.  She's an average girl who aspires to be better and dreams of "adventure in the great wide somewhere" and that is something to which I can wholeheartedly relate.  Plus, I love that an otherwise unremarkable female character gets to save the handsome prince (and not the other way around), despite not being a trained ninja or smooth-talking genius.  Just your classic girl-next-door-stumbles-upon-an-enchanted-castle-and-sings-about-it-a-lot story.
  
• Hello, My Name Is Doris
  I cannot think of enough good things to say about this movie.  Bottom line: If you haven't seen it, you must.  I don't know why there were no major nominations for this film, but I absolutely loved it.  Clever, touching, funny, and relatable.  Yup.  All of those things.  A perfect Michael Showalter piece.
  
• Star Wars (Episodes VII, VIII, and Rogue One)
  Um, do you live on planet Earth?  I'm not sure why we are even having this discussion.
  
• Father Brown (Available on Netflix)
  I stumbled upon this BBC program during the spring of 2017 and OMG, how cute!!!  We follow a clever parson as he solves murder mysteries in the quaint town of Kembleford in the Cotswolds during the 1950s.  Sometimes his friends from St. Mary's (the Catholic church where he is a priest) help him, or even get involved themselves (gasp!), much to the dismay of the local police inspector.  After a few episodes, the show does reveal its formulaic plot patterns, but it's still such a delight to watch, and not as grisly as some of its more violent counterparts.
  
• Endeavour (Available on Amazon Prime)
  
  
  Much like Father Brown, Endeavour is also a British murder mystery show.  (Sensing a pattern here?)  Set in Oxford in the 1960s, this show is the prequel to the series Inspector Morse, which was apparently rather popular in England during the late 1980s and 1990s.  At any rate, this one is quite a bit darker than Father Brown, but still captivating.  Endeavour Morse is a brainy, broody, young detective constable who lacks social skills (and thus is my kindred spirit).  Fortunately for him, he is very clever, which more or less seems to justify his behavior.  (I on the other hand, just possess the lack of social skills and am therefore perceived as more of a social retard.)  Morse, along with Inspector Fred Thursday and a variety of other colorful characters, solve some of the most puzzling murders in the area.  It's so much fun falling in love with the characters, following the overarching plots, and getting caught up in a different time and place.  And the costumes of the 1960s are fun too.  Note:  It's never good when Fred Thursday takes off his hat.
  
  
• The Man In The High Castle (Amazon Original)
  This interesting show takes place in a post-WWII United States if the allies had lost the war.  Instead of the bomb being dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the enemy beat the Americans to the punch.  The country as we know it is divided into three regions:  the Third Reich which spans from the east coast up to about the Rocky Mountains, the Pacific States (ruled by Japan) which span from the west coast up to the Rockies, and the Neutral Zone (Rockies, roughly) which is sort of a wild west/no-man's land.  We follow several groups of characters as they work for the Axis powers, in the resistance, and for their own personal gain.  Ultimately, Hitler is still in control and things are getting heated between Japan and Germany, who share space in the former US.  It's intense.
  
• The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon Original)
  OK, so I'm not all the way through this one yet, but I'm loving it.  It's pathetic and sad, but mostly hilarious in a dark sort of way.  Miriam "Midge" Maisel is a Jewish housewife in New York's upper west side.  When her husband suddenly decides to leave her and their two kids, she stumbles into stand-up comedy.  I can't fully recommend the first season without having finished it myself but, so far so good!
  
• Derek (Available on Netflix)
  Habibi was the one who first introduced me to this show a few years ago, but I didn't watch it until last year.  I was resistant at first because he said it was the sort of show that left you wondering after every episode if someone was cutting onions in the room.  Derek (Ricky Gervais) is a middle-aged man who probably falls somewhere on the Autism/Asperger's spectrum.  He works in an under-funded nursing home with a variety of characters from the fully devoted director to a bristly maintenance man.  Between the staff and the residents at this English nursing home, there is never a dull moment.  The show is clever, funny, and both heart-wrenching and heart-warming.  I recommend it to everyone.
  
• Home Fires (Available on Amazon Prime)
  My mom was the one who first suggested this show to me after the end of Downton Abbey.  Another Masterpiece production, Home Fires follows the lives and stories of a group of English women who are members of Great Paxford's Women's Institute (the W.I.) during WWII.  Their stories lend drama and intrigue to an already complex war.  While there are only two seasons of this show -and Season Two ends in a major cliffhanger!- writers have promised to continue the story in book/novella form.  The continuation of these women's stories can be purchased on Amazon.
  
• Secrets of Great British Castles (Available on Netflix)
  If you're craving a non-fiction show, check out this documentary on (wait for it) great British castles.  Nerds like me will especially enjoy the history, the drama, the intrigue, and the anecdotes over the course of about a dozen episodes.  Bonus:  One of the historic arms experts that is featured on the show dresses like a wizard.

Food/Drink

• Salted chocolate
  If I really need to expand on this, then you're an idiot.  My current household staple is Ghirardelli Sea Salt Soiree, which combines dark chocolate, chopped almonds, and crystals of sea salt.  It's heaven in a square.
  
• Preservative-free breads
  This past year, I decided to ditch all of the "lower calorie" breads in favor of those with ingredients that I recognize.  In doing this, I came across several brands which have become essentials in our home.  Some of these are sprouted grain breads, some are not.  The one bad thing about these breads is that they don't last as long in the pantry as their chemical-filled counterparts but there's a simple solution:  store them in the freezer until you are ready for them.  Then, keep them in the fridge.  Anyway, here are my top three:
  1. Silver Hills (sprouted, available at Target)
  The Sprouted Power Little Big Bread (blue package) is bitchin' when toasted and buttered.  Seriously, to die for!
  2. Eureka Organic Bread (available at HyVee and Target)
  The Sweet Baby Grains (purple package) makes a wicked PB&J.
  3. Dave's Killer Bread (sprouted, available at HyVee, maybe at Target too?)
  
• Comprehensible ingredient lists
  As you can see from the above description, I have opted away from most processed foods in favor of items with comprehensible ingredients lists.  I'm not saying that we never eat cake from a mix, or microwave popcorn...we totally do.  All I'm saying is that the majority of our foods are things that you would recognize as food.  If I don't understand something on the ingredient list, I don't buy it.  This has helped me immensely understand ingredients better (what xanthan gum or ascorbic acid are, for instance), and has helped me decide what I want or don't want to feed my family.  Ultimately, we feel a lot better.  Plus, we get to eat real butter.  So what's not to like?
  
• Nutritional yeast (aka "nooch", nickname courtesy of Thug Kitchen)
  Habibi and I did a 30 day clean eating challenge in late 2016.  When we did this, we discovered the magic of nutritional yeast.  I now use this ingredient in a plethora of recipes, and keep it as often as we keep mustard in the fridge.
  
• Liquid aminos (We like Bragg)
  Like soy sauce?  Salt?  Then you'll like liquid aminos.  Like most hippie foods, this one is a natural alternative to your more processed commercial options.  What is it?  Vegetable protein from soybeans plus water.  The end.  So quit freakin' out and buy it.
  
• Lemon-ginger brew (with muddled strawberries)
  After trying this recipe that I found in a magazine (Bon Appetit, maybe?), it became my summer mocktail.  Of course you can always add rum to make it a legit cocktail, but I don't have any reviews on that,  my dears.  I'm afraid of rum -and I rather tend to avoid it- ever since an (almost) unforgettable weekend in college...
  Anyway, follow the recipe below for the base.  Muddle some strawberries in a jar, add the base, and mix with cold/iced water.  Adjust quantities to taste.
  Pulse 8 oz. ginger, peeled and chopped, in a food processor to a coarse paste.  Bring ginger and 6 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan; reduce heat and simmer until reduced to 3 cups, 30-40 minutes.  Strain into a large jar and mix in 1/2 cup lemon juice and 1/3 cup agave syrup or pure maple syrup [Anouchka note:  I have also used local honey.]; add more lemon juice or agave, if desired.  Let cool; cover and chill.  Do ahead:  Brew can be made 2 weeks ahead.  Keep chilled.  Makes about 3 1/2 cups.
  
• "Ummi's brew"
  Popularized during my children's illnesses, combine boiled water, lemon juice, honey, and cinnamon.  Adjust quantities to taste.
  
• Homemade stir fry with sesame oil, rice vinegar, and mung bean noodles
  Yum.  And mung bean noodles are where it's at y'all.

Literature

This year, while recovering from surgery, I was able to renew my love affair with reading.  Books -of just about any kind- are so much better than television for so many reasons, and make me feel more fulfilled and less like a lazy slob.  Really, wouldn't you rather say that you "binge-read" something than "binge-watched" some mediocre show on Netflix?  I know I would.  Anyway, I personally enjoy classic novels, although a book doesn't have to be considered a "classic" for me to love it.  Here are a few of my favorites from the past two years:

• Candide (Voltaire)
  I have read this outrageously dry, dark, and humorous satire multiple times in both French and English.  While I prefer reading it in its original language (French), I do appreciate a good translation, in the event that I miss the punchline of a joke.  In 2017, however, I taught this book for the first time.  It is my firm belief that there is no better way to learn something than to teach it, and WOW!  My students really had some incredible insight into this novel.  It was great fun.
  
• 11/22/63 (Stephen King)
  Habibi is an avid reader, but we rarely read the same things:  I gravitate towards fiction while he prefers some boring-ass non-fiction stuff that genuinely improves him and provides him with solid insight on lots of issues.  ('Nuff said.)  However, we do share an affinity for Stephen King novels.  He has read basically every one of the guy's publications to date, but we both agree that this is among his best.  For me, it is his best novel.  This book follows some of fiction's most beautiful characters through time-travel, romance, adventure, mystery, and -ultimately- selflessness.  Keep a box of tissues on hand because you will openly weep when you discover just how obdurate the past can be.
  
• Bleak House (Charles Dickens)

  

  Bleak House

  
  Drama.  Intrigue.  Mystery.  Love.  Heartbreak.  Family.  Complex plot twists.  Weird crippled guys.  This long-ass book has everything that you have come to expect and love in a Dickens novel.  Never read Dickens before?  I don't necessarily recommend starting with this one, though it is a great read.  It starts out a bit slow (I had to look up what "chancery" was), but quickly turns interesting when you get in on the gossip about Dickens's deeply flawed characters.
  
• The Hunchback of Notre Dame/Notre Dame de Paris (Victor Hugo)
  This is another one that I have both read and taught; first I read it (unabridged) in English, then I taught it (abridged) in French.  Both times, it was a tragic trip.  The novel bears very little resemblance to any movie adaptation to date.  In fact, it surpasses any screen or stage depiction in complexity, depth, darkness, humor, and tragedy.  Did you realize that Quasimodo, the famed hunchback, is really only one cog in the wheel?  It's true.  The original (French) title is Notre Dame de Paris, which is simply the name of famous Parisian cathedral (Our Lady of Paris).  The cathedral itself is central to the story, almost a character on its own, and Victor Hugo was (understandably) rather pissed about the translated title.  The hunchback is not, in fact, the main character of the story.  The beautiful young gypsy Esmeralda, the wicked and jealous bishop Claude Frollo, and the self-infatuated asshole Captain Phoebus all share equal page time with Quasimodo, the tragically misunderstood deaf bell-ringer.  In fact, it is Esmeralda who links these other three characters together.  And no, it is not at all a story of a deformed guy who is obsessed with a beautiful young girl.  Quasimodo doesn't even like Esmeralda until she does something nice for him.  And, despite pitying him, Esmeralda remains somewhat grossed out by Quasimodo's deformities throughout the text.  It's messed up, but delicious.
  
• A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
  While this novel would not be considered one of my "favorites" of the past couple of years, there was a particular passage that really resonated with me as a parent, and I want to share it with you:
  Katie heard the story. 'It's come at last,' she thought, 'the time when you can no longer stand between your children and the heartache.  When there wasn't enough food in the house you pretended that you weren't hungry so they could have more.  In the cold of a winter's night you got up and put your blanket on their bed so they wouldn't be cold.  You'd kill anyone who tried to harm them -- I tried my best to kill that man in the hallway.  Then one sunny day, they walk out in all innocence and they walk right into the grief that you'd give your life to spare them.
  Profound, huh?
  
• All the Light We Cannot See (Anthony Doerr)
  Whoa.  This book caught me by surprise.  We follow the lives of Marie-Laure, a blind young French girl and Werner, a young German orphan during WWII.  On either side of the conflict, these characters and their families/friends show us just how human we all are.  Anthony Doerr seems to know everything about everything from physics, engineering, geography, history, marine biology, gemology, and countless other "ologies" that I couldn't even begin to name.  However, this extensive knowledge adds so much credibility to the story, even if you don't understand the science behind it all.  By the end of this book, you will both fall in love with and loathe characters, regardless of their political allegiances.  Your heart will swell with joy and sorrow as their lives unfold.  Their faces will remain with you long after you read the last word on the final page.  This is a book that takes you to another time and place, making it more and more difficult for you to return to your own reality.

Kids/Family

• Schedules
  Sanity for every stay-at-home parent.
  
• Bible story time
  Taking time every day (or some days) to read through a children's Bible with Chicky has been delightful.  It is educational for both of us as well as precious (and sometimes just plain entertaining) to watch her discover these valuable stories for the first time.  It's amazing how I sometimes forget that she is so young when she asks profound questions...but she usually reminds me moments later that she is still a child by making an off-topic comment about whether or not Jesus will have drinks that she will like in Heaven.  She insists that she might need to bring her own.
  
• Barnes & Noble
  Who knew that B&N could be such a hit?  What a great place to go hang out with your kiddos when the weather is nasty, or you just have to get out of the house!  The one near our home is great because, not only does it have coffee (thank God!) and books, but it also has a great car/train table in the kids' area, loads of puppets, and a little stage that we love to explore.  This is a major hot spot for our family!
  
• Crafts
  I love doing crafts and art projects with Chicky.  We don't do as many of them these days, now that she does more of them at school, but they are still a great way to pass the time and be creative.
  
• Sleepovers with grandparents
  Ummi and Daddy can't afford a nice vacation, but this will do for now.  Fo' real, I love my kids, but I also love it when they are off having a nice time...sans moi.
  
• Celebrating obscure/international holidays
  We love learning new languages and about different cultures.  Celebrations are always meant to be joyful occasions, so why not have more of them?!  (Note:  I said celebrations, not observances.  As in, "We are celebrating my birthday today!" versus "We are observing this day in memory of all the suffering our people endured."  Major difference.)  Anyway, here are a few of our favorites:  Chinese New Year, Mardi Gras, St. Patrick's Day, le 14 juillet.

Beauty

• Not Your Mother's Leave-In Conditioner
  This inexpensive product smells delightful and works like a charm, making my coarse hair easy to comb through after washing.
  
• Aquage SeaExtend Silkening Shampoo/Conditioner
  A little goes a long way with this shampoo...it lathers like a BOSS!!  And the conditioner is great too.  These products have been great on my coarse, wavy hair.  They make it softer and smoother, even after blow-drying in the dead of a very dry winter!  Plus, they smell good, and are safe for color-treated hair.  You will pay a pretty penny for it, but you might find it's worth the expense, especially if you don't wash/condition on a daily basis.
  
• It's A 10 Shampoo/Conditioner
  I don't remember what variety of this brand I used, but I do remember that it smelled like old lady perfume.  (I think the shampoo had a lavender-colored pump on it.)  Regardless, it worked very very well on my difficult tresses and I would still recommend it.
  
• Kenra Blow-Dry Spray
  I don't dare blow dry my hair without an oil-based product.  My hair is outrageously thick and would take an eternity to dry without a solid water-repelling (and hydrating!) oil.  This blow-dry spray by Kenra is the bomb diggity, because it allows me to do this without weighing my hair down and making it look greasy.
  
• Babyliss flat iron
  After getting a boatload of Amazon gift cards for my birthday last year, I splurged on the most highly rated flat iron I could find.  I got the one inch wide (five inches long) iron and it has been essential to making my hair pin-straight.  It also doubles as a medium-barrel curling iron, giving my hair soft ringlets.  I still use my wider (and much cheaper!) flat iron, however, if I want to achieve that beach wave look.

Scandinavian Shit (OK, not literally their shit, but their stuff and ideas)

• Norwex "Norwegian Experience" (Norway)
  I love the idea behind these cleaning products:  sanitize and disinfect your home with less chemicals!  Our favorite products include the:
  1. EnviroCloth - great to clean sinks with just hot water a few drops of a cleansing essential oil (like tea tree or something citrus).
  2. Dusting Mitts - even Chicky loves using her kids' mitt to help me dust!
  3. Cleaning Paste - great to remove gunk and grit from just about anything.  Seriously, you can use it on dishes, showers, tubs, toilets...  Here's the best part:  it's made out of crushed marble, coconut oil, and soap.  While I don't recommend eating it, it's pretty safe compared to standard shower cleaners.
  
• IKEA (Sweden)
  Duh.
  
• Hygge (Denmark)
  The notion of warmth, light, harmony, coziness, joy in togetherness/solitude, hygge can be defined in a variety of ways.  I most often hear it associated with candles, warm fireplaces, a cup of hot tea or cocoa...  I like to think of it as the warm fuzzies, or the feelings of contentment that you get when you appreciate the simple things in life.  For me, right now, it's snuggling under my favorite blanket with a cat curled up next to me, sipping wine or tea while I watch a favorite tv show or read a good book.  For you, it might be enjoying an ice cold beverage on the patio after dark in the balmy warmth of a summer night, watching your kids run barefoot through the yard catching fireflies.  Regardless, the beauty of hygge is that it can be found just about anywhere, at any time, if we attune ourselves to it.
  
• Finnish school system (Finland)
  A simple Google search of "Finnish school system" will render dozens of results outlining why Finland has such a kickass approach to education.  They consistently score high by international standards, but have significantly less stress among their students.  Why?  Check this out.  (Regardless of how you feel about Michael Moore, he makes some valid points in his 2015 film Where to Invade Next?) 

Self/Personal

• Tea cups
  I don't care what kind of tea it is, it always tastes better when you drink it from a legit tea cup with a saucer.  Boom...hygge.
  
• Early morning coffee and Bible study with girlfriends
  Once a week, I meet with a couple of girlfriends at 6:00 am (yow!!!) for coffee and Bible study.  This has been happening for a couple of years now, and it is a staple in my weekly ritual for sanity and well-being.
  
• Studio Sweat onDemand (www.studiosweatondemand.com)
  I am NUTS about my online gym!!  Since becoming a stay-at-home mom, it has become increasingly difficult (logistically and financially) to maintain a gym membership.  With my onDemand gym, I can fit my workouts in wherever I want...and they are just as intense as my gym workouts were back when I was young and keepin' it tight. 
  
• Twine and tiny clothespins
  These have become the standard for art display in our home.  This whimsical way of hanging photographs, postcards, and original masterpieces is easy to maintain and rotate as taste dictates!
  
• Postcards
  See above.  We love hanging postcards on the wall.  They are so much more interesting (and great as conversation pieces) than cheap motel art.
  
• Cutting fresh flowers from the neighboring lot
  There is a huge lot next to our home where, I've been told, a lady with an immaculate flower garden used to live.  The house is no longer there, but traces of her garden remain.  Every spring, the crab apple trees sprout gorgeous pink blossoms, and tulips and peonies (two of my favorite flowers!) burst forth from the ground.  There are a variety of other blooms that I don't recognize, but dayam!  The daffodils go all gangbusters on that lot.  Anyway, I like to take my scissors over and cut loads of fresh (free!) and beautiful flowers for our home.
  
• Etsy
  Like I said, not everything here is new to Earth, but some of it is new to me.  I finally created an Etsy account this year and have already spent waaaay too much money on gifts...many of which have been for myself.  Oops.
  
• Grocery delivery (started September 2015)
  Late in 2015, I discovered that our local grocery chain does delivery.  Since that time, I can count on one hand the number of times I have needed to go to the grocery store.  This is a Godsend on cold, mucky, icy days when you have two kids under the age of 5.  Seriously, it has been a game changer in the best possible way.

So there you have it:  Anouchka's favorites of the past two years.  I hope you found something here that you too can enjoy!