SNACK TIME: December Morsels
The best things I read and watched in 2025 + your favorite recipes!
Welcome to Snack Time! A monthly series that takes a break from the regularly scheduled munch meal planning to share some of the best things I’ve consumed this past month (edible and otherwise).
I didn’t grow up celebrating Christmas, so we usually spend the holiday with my in-laws. This year, however, we could not face getting on a plane. So we decided to hole up with my family on Martha’s Vineyard, take in the winter light, hide inside from the wind, and watch a lot of movies.
This also meant getting our family’s first real tree!
My dad caved once when I was growing up and allowed my mom and I to have one, but being Jews, we had no other infrastructure for the traditions.
A few years ago, my husband diligently started our ornament collection by buying an extremely kitschy object from every place we travel. It was delightful to finally see this smattering of weird remembrances hanging from our own evergreen.
We were worried about our toddler around the more breakable ones, but being a novice meant that I hung mine on weak branches and promptly broke the paddle from our Venice gondolier and one of our Scottish highland cow’s horns. Perhaps superglue will become part of our Christmakkah tradition too.
We’ve also been watching a lot of movies, both with and without the Munch. Her current favorites are Zootopia, Winnie the Pooh and Charlie Brown Christmas, but to be honest, we haven’t introduced her to many and a lot of the old Disney classics seem to have parts she finds scary (Zootopia requires a lot of fast forwarding in the middle, and she can’t get past the ice monsters in Frozen). Any recs welcome!
I’ve included a few of my favorite Oscar front runners below for anyone in need of a veg sesh after the sugar-addled tyrants go to bed.
Our final tradition, which Charlie and I have kept going now for almost a decade, is to write down our predictions for the coming year on Jan 1. We come up with a new list of questions every year, from pop culture awards, sports winners, silly personal milestones, and occasionally some political ones (though as we’ve learned the past few years, it’s hard to predict what you cannot imagine. ugh.).
It’s always a lot of fun to go back over our answers from the previous year. And during a time when there’s so much emphasis on self-improvement and deeper reflection, it helps to have one practice that is just for fun.
Thank you as always for sticking with me in 2025 and for making my first 9 months of Munch Menus so special! I can’t wait for all that’s to come next year. I have so many ideas. Perhaps too many ideas. We shall see.
Finally, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!
Phoebe
WHAT YOU MISSED
How to be a good friend in your 30’s and 40’s (and hold onto your people for life)
I asked 8 design-savvy moms their hacks for leveling up a kid’s room
Lazy (High Protein) Mac and Cheese
ME TIME
(Everything I’m watching and reading)
The Girlfriend (TV): This show is absolutely ludicrous, but I found it to be a very pleasurable medium-trashy binge. The narrative conceit is similar to the show The Affair: half of each episode is told from the girlfriend’s POV, then the other reveals the same events through the mother of her boyfriend’s perspective. Robin Wright and Olivia Cooke give deranged diva performances as each become more and more psycho as a result of the other’s lies.
Train Dreams (Movie): This quiet period drama was my second favorite movie of the year (my top top is below!), and I’m praying it cuts through the award show season noise and becomes an Oscar front runner. It’s beautifully shot, extremely moving, UNDER TWO HOURS, and imbued with tragedy, wisdom and simple joys. You can stream it on Netflix, though I’d imagine that it’s stunning on the big screen!
Wild Dark Shore (Book): This book popped up on so many lists that I almost ignored it, but I’m glad I didn’t. One part climate change thriller, one part love story, one part family drama set on a remote and fascinating island in the middle of the Pacific. Listen to the audible version if you love an Australian accent!
2025 SUPERLATIVES: ME TIME
The Best Book I Read in 2025
WINNER: Heart the Lover by Lily King (more on it here)
The Best Show I Watched in 2025
WINNER: Task (more on it here)
The Best Movie of 2025
WINNER: Sentimental Value (get yourself to a theater to see it)
2025 SUPERLATIVES: YOUR FAVORITES OF THE YEAR!
Your Number One Favorite / Recipe of the Year
WINNER: Zucchini Bread Baked Oatmeal
Your Most-Made Recipe
WINNER: Sweet & Salty Everything Sauce
The Best Round-up of Advice to Live By
WINNER: I asked 20 moms their favorite “healthy” snack food
The Most-Read Personal Essay
WINNER: My approach to feeding my child sugar
The Most Downloaded Munch Menu
WINNER: The Munch Menu Summer Breakfast Planner
MONTHLY ASK
Thank you so much for joining me over here in 2025! Munch Menus is officially at full term (9 months old!) and taking shape in a way I’m really proud of. I’ve loved the conversations in the comments and learning more from this collective brain trust as time goes on. Toddlers are insane. Parenting is batshit crazy. I don’t know where I’d be without my virtual and IRL community to laugh and cry with.
As I begin planning for 2026, I would love to hear more about the topics taking up space in your head, culinary pain points, recipe requests—ANYTHING! Drop it in the comments. I live to please.
Love the festive movies. We just watched the newer Grinch (animated version from 2018) with my 19mo and almost 5yo and we all loved it - would recommend for next year!
Love the superglue addition. Seems appropriate