Scandinavian noir

May/June Favorites, 2021 – not too long ago.

That Asian-Looking Chick Leave a comment

Hello, my friends.

I’m still raw with the loss of Salem and my sorrow for her for the way that she died, but I wanted to post my “favorite little things” list from May/June. Please to forgive me my brevity of commentary in this post. Suffice it to say that if it’s on this list, I’m a true fan.

Netflix provided an action/thriller film and a Scandinavian Noir series that I enjoyed:

1). The Ice Road (Netflix)

Employ massive suspension of disbelief to enjoy this film, and you will, if you’re into action/thrillers. The filmmakers stuffed as many disasters as they could fit into one hour and 49 minutes, and it’s ludicrous, but you should have a fun time. I found that all of my eyerolling was worth the shenanegans involving Liam Neeson pissed off and on a dangerous mission that becomes personal.

2). Katla (Netflix)

A Scandinavian Noir series centered around a volcano as the main character + changelings is the series I never knew I needed. It’s in Icelandic with subtitles. Like most in the Scandinavian Noir genre, Katla is slow-paced and dark. Just something to know going in.

Now for the consumables!

3). UpTime White Peach Lemonade Energy Drink.

UpTime White Peach Lemonade Energy Drink

It’s very rare that I drink an energy drink, and I hadn’t had one in years. Then I drove to the V.A. one day after work and starting falling asleep at the wheel. Alarmed, I went straight to the hospital retail store and bought this sugar-free white peach lemonade energy drink so I could get home without killing myself and others. I was amazed. Firstly, it was delicious. Secondly, it woke me up instantly. It’s yummy and it works!

Next, meet my favorite raisin bran:

4). Uncle Sam Skinner’s Raisin Bran.

Uncle Sam Skinner’s Raisin Bran

INGREDIENTS
Whole Wheat Berries, Raisins (Raisins, Sunflower Oil), Salt, Barley Malt Syrup

I’ve been eating a lot of this raisin bran lately.

Moving on to my stand-by favorite Larabar of years, which saves the day every day. This bar is nothing but peanuts, dates, and sea salt. It does taste like a cookie:

5). Peanut Butter Cookie Lara Bar.

Larabar Peanut Butter Cookie

INGREDIENTS
Dates, peanuts, sea salt

I tried out these Triscut-like crackers and discovered that they’re spectacular with Trader Joe’s Mediterranean hummus, though they’d be great with any hummus, or any kind of dip, for that matter. I love how crunchy and thick these are:

6). Back to Nature Harvest Whole Wheat Crackers.

Back to Nature Harvest Whole Wheat Crackers

INGREDIENTS
Whole Grain Wheat, Safflower Oil, Sea Salt

It’s stone fruit season, and the stone fruits have me enraptured, as always:

7). Cherries and Santa Rosa plums.

Santa Rosa plums; dark cherries

Also, it was/is artichoke season!

Artichoke

I tried out some new snacky vegan items that are wonderfully simple and delicious. This activated superfood popcorn is a surprising flavor explosion. First, the salt. Then the grassy, earthy hints from the greens, along with the zestiness of the nutritional yeast. Lastly, the heat kicks in, a pleasant yet insistent burn in the mouth. The flavors play well together, and it’s overall redolent of taco sauce to me. The popcorn itself is fluffy and light. I love this popcorn:

8). Living Intentions Activated Superfood Popcorn Salsa Verde.

INGREDIENTS:
Popcorn*, Sunflower Oil*, Himalayan Crystal Salt, Nutritional Yeast* , Spinach*, Spirulina*, Chlorella*, Garlic*, Dill*, Cumin*, Lemon Peel*, Freeze Dried Kale*, Fermented Black Garlic*, Onion*, Black Pepper*, Turmeric*, Chilies* and Thyme* *Certified Organic

I tried out a brand of vegan ice cream that takes the words out of my mouth, it’s so creamy and rich:

9). Coconut Bliss Ice Cream Dark Chocolate.

Coconut Bliss Ice Cream Dark Chocolate

INGREDIENTS
Coconut Milk* (Water, Coconut*, Guar Gum*), Coconut Syrup*, Coconut Cream*, Cocoa*† (processed with alkali), Vanilla Extract*. *Certified Organic †Fair Trade

I love the vanilla one, too!

Finally, the only product(s) on this list:

10). Pacifica Lavender Moon Body Lotion and Lavender Moon Body and Pillow Mist.

Pacifica Lavender Moon Body Lotion
Pacifica Lavender Moon Body and Pillow Mist

For me, these products truly sooth as I give in to sleep. I love this fragrance, in and of itself. I wish they’d make a perfume out of it.

Not to be abrupt, but… The End.

Happy New Moon eve, my friends. Stay safe! And thank you for being here, as always.

Little Things. (May Favorites.)

That Asian-Looking Chick Leave a comment

I wasn’t sure whether I was going to post a “May Favorites,” to be honest. I had my running list, but in light of the critically important matters of the day, the idea of a “favorite little things” post just seemed ridiculous and self-indulgent.

I decided to post it, though I’m without many words. I’m sorry for this, for the fact that my heart just isn’t in it. My heart has been broken and flung to far more worthwhile places, along with millions of other hearts. I’ve been preoccupied with wanting to do my part as an ally in the Black Lives Matter movement. By this, I mean that I want to do more. I’m unsure of how. I’ve been educating myself. I’ve donated. It doesn’t feel like enough. I’m going to continue with my education, that’s for sure.

Here are those Little Things that I enjoyed in May:

 

1). El Camino: A Breaking Bad Story (Netflix)

 

 

Somehow, it’d escaped us that there was a movie continuing Jesse Pinkman’s story after the conclusion of Breaking Bad. We rectified the oversight, and we were glad that we did. Breaking Bad fans, if you haven’t seen El Camino: A Breaking Bad Story, you really must. Those of you who haven’t seen Breaking Bad: don’t bother with this. It’s excellent, but it’ll only make sense if you’ve seen the series.

(Also, if you haven’t seen Breaking Bad yet, WHY NOT? It hasn’t been over-hyped. It can’t be hyped enough.)

 

2). Alps (Amazon Prime rental)

 

 

 

I only got to one of the Yorgos Lanthimos films on my list, and Alps was it. I found it to be as bizarre, thought-provoking, risky, and lyrically semiotic as Dogtooth, The Lobster, and The Killing of a Sacred Deer. The next film of his I plan to watch is The Favourite, which I believe is his most commonly known film.

 

3). Ingrid Goes West (Amazon Prime rental)

 

 

I went for this film because of Aubrey Plaza, and her performance was as satisfying to watch as I’d thought it would be. Parks and Recreation fans could imagine how she’d own the role of a stalker. I think that this indie film would be enjoyable to many, but it’s a must-watch for social media influencers.

 

4). The Ritual (Netflix)

 

 

A proper horror flick seemed appropriate at the time that I watched this film on Netflix. It was rather “eh” to me, but it proved its worth in terms of my love for the cabin/camping-in-the-woods sub-genre of horror. As mediocre as I thought it was, I was in the mood for it. It worked. If you’re also a fan of this sort of horror, you might enjoy escaping into this film, too.

 

5). Hannah Gadsby’s Douglas (Netflix)

 

 

 

This Netflix comedy special also proved to be the right thing at the right time, and I found it to be excellent. It came recommended to me by a friend (thank you, April!), and I second her recommendation.

 

6). Dead to Me (S2) (Netflix)

 

 

Dead to Me: for when you want some light and funny with your crime. I was there for it, and also for the outstanding acting performances. I love the writing in this series, as well.

 

7). Bordertown (Sorjonen) (S3) (Netflix)

 

 

We enjoy Scandinavian noir, in general, but Bordertown (original title: Sorjonen) is our favorite project within this sub-genre of crime thriller. With its third and final season, its creators deftly wrapped up the series. They took the development of Kari Sorjonen’s eccentric character as far as they could. Story-wise, they left things exactly the way I would’ve wanted them to be left, though I didn’t know what that would look like until they did it. This is a great series, in general, but I’d especially recommend it to you if you’re new to Scandinavian noir.

 

9). JASON Calming Lavender Body Wash. (vegan and cruelty-free)

 

JASON Calming Lavender Body Wash

 

I used up all of my body washes from The Body Shop and decided to look to the drugstore shelves for another aromatic option. JASON is a brand that’s never missed the mark for me; I usually re-purchase the products of theirs that I try. This body wash will be no exception. I find its scent to be more crisp and invigorating than calming, but I like it nonetheless.

 

10). Pacific Shaving Company Natural Shaving Cream. (vegan and cruelty-free)

 

Pacific Shaving Company Natural Shaving Cream

 

Kiss My Face finally returned their vegan/cruelty-free shaving cream to their stock, but before I could realize that, I went looking through Callaghan’s products. He’d started using this Natural Shaving Cream, and I had no idea that it was vegan and cruelty-free! This is just a good product. I recommend it.

 

That about does it, my friends. Until Thursday!