Food ‘n Flix: Elf Roundup

The last Food ‘n Flix of 2013 has ended. What does that mean? It means there’s a ton more movies for us to watch in 2014! And I even got the post up before the 31st. Impressive? Maybe. But I realized if I didn’t get it up before NYE, this wouldn’t be up until sometime in the new year.

I was very excited for this month’s movie. I picked Elf, the story of Buddy the Elf, who learns he’s human and comes to NYC from the North Pole to meet his dad – a man on the naughty list. Buddy has a hard time fitting in at first, but in the end, his elf-charm helps save Christmas.

I was looking forward to Christmas treats. I am so happy with the results! Unlike some movies, Elf took some creativity (unless you wanted to make pasta with maple syrup or something.) I love seeing where everyone took this month’s movie.

The first Elf recipe this month came from Caroline at Caroline Makes . . . Well, what did Caroline Make? Caroline made a Chocolate Yule Log! Though it seems she also considered the spaghetti scene (well, hardly considered it . . .) Caroline put her foot down to spaghetti with candy and made this festive holiday bake for a local bake sale. I love that not only was it tied in to the Christmas theme of the movie, but this treat went to benefit the Save the Children organization.

The next Elf-based dish comes from Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla. Camilla shared this Holiday Hijinx Ramen. Though Camilla did consider making a dish from one of the four elf food groups, which if you don’t know include: candy, candy corn, candy canes, and syrup. Camilla decided to take a different approach though and decided to make Jovie’s bowl of ramen that she was eating when she saw Buddy on the news. Very different than ramen with the dried spice packet, Camilla made a flavorful bowl of soup that looks perfect for a cold winter’s day!

As host of this movie, I wanted to make something so Christmas-y that Buddy the elf would be my best friend. I decided to make Sugar Plums. Not only did this month’s movie let me rewatch my favorite Christmas movie (which is tied in first place with The Santa Clause,) but I also learned what a sugar plum really is. Sugar plums are balls of dried fruit and nuts with honey, rolled in powdered sugar. Buddy made several comments about sugar plums throughout the movie, so it seemed fitting.

The next treat for Buddy comes from Debra at Eliot’s Eats. Debra shared a plate of Dulce de Leche White Chocolate Chip Cookies suited for any elf. This is a perfect plate of cookies to leave out for Santa (or just to eat.) I think Buddy would give two thumbs up after sampling two, three, or four of them himself.

The next Elf-inspired-goodie comes from Heather at girlichef. Heather made a cocktail which she called the Angry Elf Cocktail! Heather’s inspiration comes from Buddy’s mishap with a businessman who also is a midget. Oh Buddy . . . This cocktail looks so creamy and alcoholic. I could use one over here!

Our last recipe this month comes from Deb at Kahaki Kitchen. Deb made Fudge Puppies (or more appropriately Fudge Buddies.) Elf inspired Deb to open up a very colorful cookbook called Sprinkles! It appears on all fronts that this was a cookbook designed for elves. These little waffles have chocolate and sprinkles on them! And they have whipped cream on them! Buddy would definitely be thrilled if this was served to him for breakfast. Or lunch. Or dinner even. Buddy would be thrilled!

And with that, 2013 is pretty much over. I was really happy to see so many entries despite this generally being a busy month for people. I’m glad there was still some time to indulge in a movie and make something in the kitchen based on it. And I hope that everyone joins for the first movie of 2014! We’ll be watching The Breakfast Club, hosted by Eliot’s Eats. Check her blog the first of the year for instructions on how to join!