Holiday Pot Luck and a Movies & Munchies Round-up

Then there were three.

I’m hosting Movies & Munchies this month and since it’s a busy time I decided to just do a potluck. You could pick whatever holiday movie suits your fancy—the favorite that the fam watches every year, a classic, or even something from your archives.

I love the premise of Movies & Munchies so much: watch a film with foodie goggles and then whip up an inspired-by recipe. I would do this if it were just me. Well, there were three of us this month that found time during this busy season to pick a favorite holiday movie and post-up. We’ve got a good mix this month with a cocktail (for pre-dinner or after dinner enjoyment), a turkey dinner, and a dessert.

Amy’s Cooking Adventures did a round-up of previously posted films (with some commentary). I have to agree, Amy, that Krampus was my all time least favorite holiday movie. (Can a horror film be considered in this genre anyway?) Amy highlighted her perfected turkey and gravy recipe to offset the overly dry jerky turkey from A Christmas Vacation.

Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm was inspired by one of the true classics, White Christmas. Hot buttered rum (light on the butter) is mentioned on the train trip to Vermont. Wendy’s compound butter recipe sounds amazing and I certainly want to mix some up for the New Year!

I will admit that I guess I did not know how to make hot buttered rum. ??? I love that compound butter. This butter would be great on your holiday pancakes, too!

I posted a highlighted tour through the years of the old Food ‘n Flix group and the current Movies & Munchies holiday posts. As Wendy listed the beloved classics in her post (the aforementioned White Christmas along with Miracle on 24th Street and It’s a Wonderful Life), I tend to love the more modern classics like Love Actually and The Family Stone. Be that as it may, I went with an old and forgotten film, a version of Truman Capote’s A Christmas Memory (1966 for “ABC Stage 67”). It was a delight to watch and hear Capote narrate. I made fruitcake cookies inspired from the ingredients used in the yearly fruitcakes that were whipped up by Buddy and Sook.

Our family definitely ran through the list of holiday films this year during Christmas week. We watched Christmas Vacation, A Christmas Story, Meet Me in St. Louis, Christmas in Connecticut, Home Alone, The Grinch, and The Bells of St. Mary (?). (Not sure why that last one was listed on a Christmas movie list. I mean there is a nativity play in it and I guess it’s featured in The Godfather during the holiday scene with Michael and Kay….) My other favorites I watched during Thanksgiving!

I do hope that everyone’s holidays were merry and bright! I do think that we should just go ahead and plan on Home Alone for our December 2025 pick!

Happy New Year, all!