Tag Archives: holiday

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year: Our Team’s Favorite Holiday Movies

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The holiday season is a time for family, food and Christmas movie marathons. From the classic Rankin Bass films to cliché-filled Hallmark romps, everyone has their preferences, and as the year comes to an end, our team wanted to celebrate by sharing some of our favorite Christmas movies.

Rod: My favorite holiday movie is “It’s a Wonderful Life.” My youngest brother, Ryan, and I have watched this movie together every December since 2003. We both appreciate the story and its message about the value of family and dear friends, as well as the importance of helping others where and when you can. Other family members have jumped on the bandwagon in the years since, and it’s become a larger family tradition we all enjoy together. 

Eileen: My favorite holiday movie is “Elf.” “Buddy the Elf, what’s your favorite color?” may just become the team’s go-to phrase when picking up the phone. After watching this for years, the same jokes still crack us up! I look forward to watching it with my family year after year.

Kate: As soon as the holiday season starts to set in (which is admittedly very early in my house), my partner goes to pick up our annual Christmas PJ’s and we turn on my favorite Christmas movie, “The Santa Clause.” It was one of the few movies I never get sick of and brings me back to the years of quoting it all year long with my brothers as kids.

Bianca: “Elf” is always the first movie my siblings and I watched during the Christmas season, though our quoting along in the back of the car wasn’t as appreciated by our parents. I love Will Ferrell’s over-the-top, goofy humor alongside a very earnest story about family and belonging. Plus, it has an incredible soundtrack.

Logan: My family and I watch “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (the Jim Carrey version) every year. Although there’s lots of debate on this remake (you either love it or hate it), the jokes are undeniably funny, and the costumes and sets are extremely well done!

Alex: There are a lot of Christmas movies that try their hand at relatable, adult humor, but few do it as well as “Elf” with Will Ferrell. I am a Will Ferrell fan, so they may or may not have played a role in my choice. Regardless, Elf is one of those feel-good movies that reminds you that joy, kindness and family are the pillars of Christmas. I try to watch it every year, but the last few years have been difficult with a toddler, but I’m optimistic we will watch it this year.

Cassidy: My favorite holiday is “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.” My husband and I watch it every Black Friday as a tradition to kick off the holiday season and can quote practically every line. We like it because it takes a comical view of portraying how chaotic the holiday season can get. 

Liz: “It’s A Wonderful Life”. I enjoy old movies and this is one of my favorites to watch each Christmas. There are so many great lines in the movie and an assortment of characters to watch. It is a classic!

Paul: Tie between “It’s a Wonderful Life,” a gorgeous tale of gratitude and precious friendships, and “Die Hard,” a brilliant underdog action movie set on Christmas Eve.

John: My favorite is “Batman Returns.” Christmas, Christopher Walken and animatronic and real penguins—the early 90s were a good time. Hearing the operatic score by Danny Elfman in Batman Returns in theaters blew my mind. Clowns on motorbikes doesn’t sound like Christmastime, but Tim Burton made it so.

Confessions of a Former Chef: Mastering Your Thanksgiving Turkey 

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Thanksgiving is just about here, and as people spruce up their homes for guests and brave last minute grocery trips, there is an annual wave of dread and anticipation among hosts and guests alike. No, it’s not the once-a-year conversation with your distant uncle, or your grandmother’s intrusive questions. It’s the age-old tell of a successful Thanksgiving: The turkey.  

From Hollywood’s depiction of an overcooked bird puffing into smoke upon carving, to news stories of fried turkeys gone wrong, the art of cooking a turkey can place immense pressure on home chefs. Turkeys are fickle birds, with meat on multiple parts that cook at different temperatures. That paired with the mere size of most hens makes the task feel like an annual moving target.  

Now, you may be wondering why a public relations agency is publishing an article about cooking turkeys. Prior to starting my career in public relations, I was fairly deep into a culinary journey when I hung up my apron as a chef de cuisine in Chicago. If there’s one commonality I’ve noticed across these two careers, it is that there are a myriad of ways to reach a goal. There is no one way to build a brand’s public relations profile, and there is certainly no one way to cook the perfect turkey. But, with a strong understanding of the factors at play and technique that allows you to pivot when things don’t go to plan, you too can inch closer to achieving the dream of satisfied table guests and the words you’ve always longed to hear: That turkey was incredible. 

There are three factors to keep in mind when cooking a showstopper of a turkey:  

  • Preparation: Cooking a frozen turkey can be the quickest way to a dry end-product. While there are techniques that suggest it can help lock in moisture, it’s a gamble as to whether it will cook evenly and the odds are not on chef’s side. Ensure the turkey is fully thawed and brought to room temperature prior to cooking.  
  • Moisture: Before cooking, consider the tactic you would like to use to aid with moisture. There are several options to help with this such as wet or dry brines, rubbing butter under the skin or spatchcocking the turkey in which you remove the backbone allowing it to lay flat while cooking. You can practice some of these techniques with a roast chicken ahead of the holiday and test options before the main event. While it won’t be exactly the same, given a turkey’s size, it will get you familiar with the process.  
  • Rest: Arguably one of the most important steps to cooking any meat is allowing time for the cooked bird to rest. Often, people will assume this step is “just a formality” when it’s extremely important to ensure juices do not drain and dry out the turkey. Even if it’s cooked to perfection.  

With these important factors in mind, you can determine how you want to cook a turkey. Let’s look at a couple of options to really bring it home:  

  • Roasted: Tried and true, roasting is the most common way to cook a turkey. With your oven at 325-350 degrees, you will cook it for about 15 minutes per pound. The biggest risk with this approach is the potential dryness. Consider brining the bird prior to cooking as well as basting it, in which you cover it with its own juices throughout cooking.  
  • Backyard fried: The riskiest of options, frying your turkey can lead to a juicy center with crispy skin. Unfortunately, mis-steps in the deep-frying process are all too common and the risks of fire or injury are certainly something to consider. Given the risks, I usually do not recommend this approach. However, if you choose to deep fry your bird, make sure the turkey is at room temperature and patted completely dry. Water or ice entering into a fryer could cause your bird to combust.  
  • Smoked: The least common of the three methods, some people opt for a smoked turkey. This method requires you to cook at a much lower temperature, about 225 degrees, for about double the time. While this method is more time intensive, it can yield moist meat that falls-off-the bone bound to be a crowd pleaser.  

As you prepare for this holiday, don’t let the stress of preparing the turkey stop you from appreciating the day alongside your loved ones or from acknowledging all for which you are grateful. This could be the year you dazzle the crowd with an award-worthy turkey and if it doesn’t quite go to plan, there’s always next year.  

From all of us at Kimball Hughes Public Relations, we wish you a safe, happy and turkey-filled Thanksgiving.