My favorite holiday movies and munchies!

Christmas with the Kranks

This one is surprisingly sweet. Recent empty nesters Luther and Nora Krank decide to forego the usual stressful holidays and all that comes with it—pricey decorations, gifts and hosting—when their daughter leaves for the Peace Corp. This year, they decide to take a relaxing, tropical getaway instead (Tropical being the operative word here. This will make sense when you get to my food pairing). But it seems everyone is on a mission to make sure the Kranks stay home and celebrate the traditional way, including their pushy neighbors, the local newspaper, co-workers and more. When their daughter calls them on Christmas Eve to let them know (surprise!) she’d be home tomorrow for Christmas, the Kranks are forced to give up their vacation and pull a holiday together in no time, which goes about as well as you’d expect. The neighbors rally to make sure the holiday comes together for the family, and without giving too much away, the final lesson is it is indeed better to give than to receive. With their (almost) tropical cruise as my inspiration, I whipped up this Beach Plum Party Punch, which is light, refreshing and will definitely get you in the party mood!

Get the recipe.