The Oscars were last Sunday night and you all know how much I love to watch The Oscars! Today I’m going to share 10 Thoughts On This Year’s Oscars.

1. I loved that Billy Crystal hosted again. He’s funny and he’s entertaining. I sort of feel like the host doesn’t get enough air time these days, though.
2. I loved that Meryl Streep won for Best Actress. I was torn between routing for her or Viola Davis in The Help but I think Meryl Streep really made The Iron Lady what it was and that’s why she won. And her speech was fantastic.
3. I loved that Christopher Plummer won Best Supporting Actor. I had such a crush on Captain Von Trapp when I was young and it was great to see him honored with this award.
4. I loved the Cirque du Soleil performance. There’s some pretty major talent in that group of performers.
5. I loved that none of the movies really swept all the awards. Hugo, which was my favorite of all the Best Picture nominees, won it’s fair share but other movies also won in different categories and I think that’s great. It’s too bad Woody Allen wasn’t there when he won for Midnight in Paris.
6. I loved Jessica Chastain’s dress. The style was beautiful on her and that black and gold fabric was gorgeous.
7. I loved seeing all the dresses. I thought Viola Davis looked stunning, Penelope Cruz looked perfectly classical, and Octavia Spencer looked lovely. I was not crazy about Emma Stone’s big shoulder bow and I thought Angelina Jolie looked sickly.
8. I loved seeing all those handsome leading men. George Clooney and Colin Firth can come right over here and sit by me.
9. I loved the look on Ryan Seacrest’s face when Sacha Baron Cohen spilled the “ashes” of King Jung II on him. Ryan was not a happy guy right about then and I must be a meanie because I liked seeing him get rattled.
10. I loved almost all of the Best Picture nominees. I was not crazy about Tree of Life but I thought the others were terrific. I was definitely routing for Hugo for BP but I’m not unhappy that The Artist won.

I know not everyone loves The Oscars like I do but I appreciate that you all indulge me in my fashion and movie obsession once a year!

In solidarity with my friends who have been writing letters all month, today’s Ten on Tuesday topic is: 10 Tips for Writing a Great Letter. Let’s begin.

1. Use pretty stationary.
2. Stick with dark blue or black ink only. When I was a kid I liked to match ink color to stationary color but now that my eyes are a bit, errr, older, I find it much easier to read blue or black ink.
3. Know your recipient. Obviously you know them, you are writing to them. What I mean is to know them in a way that will make your letter interesting to them.
4. Make it legible. The idea behind a month of letters is to write a handwritten piece but if your handwriting is really bad you could always type something up and then print it out using a font that looks like handwriting – there are plenty of great ones out there.
5. Ask relevant questions. My letter from Kathy included a bunch of questions from her son. They were cute and funny and they gave me a reason to write back since I wanted to answer them for him.
6. Be caring. Tell them how much their friendship means to you.
7. Write about a memory of a time you were together. Reminiscing is always a good topic.
8. Include details about where you are. Your setting is important and it helps your friend to picture you while you were writing the letter.
9. Tell them about something you are doing. Margene told me about some gardening plans that she has and it made me feel like I was part of her daily life.
10. Ignore numbers one through nine and just be yourself. You are writing a letter to a good friend and they will be thrilled to hear from you and that’s really all that matters.

Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you! Whether you have a sweetheart or not today is about L-O-V-E and today’s Ten on Tuesday topic is about something I think we all love – chocolate. Specifically, 10 Favorite Chocolate Treats.

1. My favorite thing is just straight up chocolate so my first thing on the list has to be a plain chocolate candy bar. Make it Green and Black’s Organic Dark Chocolate (I like the 70% best) and I’m a happy girl.
2. Other types of chocolate candies: Rolos, Peanut Butter Cups, Mr. Goodbars, M&Ms, and Baby Ruth are my favorites.
3. Chocolate Chip Cookies, especially when they are right out of the oven.
4. Chocolate Cream Pie. It’s Dale’s favorite, too, and pretty simple to make.
5. Chocolate Orange Tea. When my friend Terry first told me about this I was skeptical. Then I tried it. Heaven in a cup, I tell you and I’d rather have this than hot chocolate. Shocking, I know.
6. Chocolate Layer Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting. This is what my mom always made for me on my birthday. I just love the combination of vanilla frosting and chocolate cake. Mmmm.
7. Chocolate Covered Strawberries. They are so quick and easy to make that I don’t know why we don’t have them more often.
8. Brownies. I mean, really, how can you not have brownies on a list of favorite chocolate treats? I like them from a box and I love them from scratch. They are also good in variations that include caramel, nuts, frosting and other gooey goodness.
9. Chocolate Truffles. And I mean the really good ones that are beautiful to look at and taste divine.
10. A Chocolate Martini. A little vodka, a little Godiva liqueur, and a little Chambord. Oh yesssssss.

This week’s 10 on Tuesday topic is 10 Things You Can See From Your Favorite Knitting Spot. My favorite knitting spot is the left hand corner of my couch and I’m sitting right there as I write this post. Here’s what I can see:

1. The TV. It’s directly opposite from where I sit and right now it’s playing the credits from the movie Tree of Life. That is one effed up movie, my friends.
2. The woodstove. It’s to my left and it’s keeping me warm and cozy.
3. Family photos. I have 4 shelves of them and they really need to be updated but I can’t bring myself to take down the ones of Brant & Heather’s wedding, my grad school graduation photo, and so many others that are part of our family’s history.
4. The cat. Mason is lying in front of the woodstove. Shocking, I know.
5. The dining room. I love it since we redid it and looking in there makes me happy.
6. A tiny slice of the kitchen and a tiny slice of the bathroom. They are yellow and orange respectively and I love the shot of color they provide.
7. My knitting basket. It’s under the coffee table and it holds needles, patterns, many JessaLu box bags, and all my knitting notions.
8. A finished pair of socks. They are waiting to be photographed and you’ll probably see them here by the end of the week.
9. My Schacht Matchless. It is waiting patiently for my attention.
10. A burning Yankee candle. The scent is Red Apple Wreath and I’m loving it.

I sometimes feel like we have too many food related topics here on Ten on Tuesday. And yet, when we talk about food, there are more participants, more comments, and more discussion. And so, despite my reservations, this week’s topic is food related. It’s also current events related: 10 Favorite Super Bowl Party Foods.

1. My number one favorite thing to eat while watching football is Buffalo Chicken Dip. I use this recipe and it’s the bomb. My friend who is hosting the party we will be attending has informed me she will be making a double batch for this Sunday. I hope it’s enough.
2. Second to that dip is chili. You can make it ahead of time, it can be customized and served with all kinds of toppings, and it’s delicious.
3. Jambalaya. I like to include chicken, sausage and shrimp. Yummmmm.
4. Meatball subs. Seriously, buy frozen meatballs, dump them in a crockpot with jarred spaghetti sauce, wait a couple of hours and they are ready. Serve them on extra fresh sub rolls topped with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and your guests will love you.
5. Pulled pork. Another one for the crockpot which makes it idea for a football party.
6. Nachos. I think this one is self explanatory.
7. Mexican layer dip. I don’t know why football makes me crave Mexican food but it does and that’s that. Pass the tortilla chips, won’t you?
8. Deviled eggs. What’s a party without them?
9. Whoopie Pies. See the picture up there? Those are the football shaped whoopie pies that I made for the AFC Championship Game. It was a little tricky getting the batter into a football shape but they tasted great.
10. Brownies. For the Super Bowl I happen to think they should be cut into shapes with football themed cookie cutters. Just saying.

Those of you who are big movie buffs like I am probably have movies on your mind since the Oscar nominations will be announced this morning. This is something I look forward to a lot and I will be generating a list of must-see movies once those nominations are made public. In the meantime, though, I’m going to tell you the 10 Movies I Want to See Right Now – even though it will likely change by the time many of you are reading this post – because that is today’s Ten On Tuesday topic.

1. Iron Lady. I love Meryl Streep and I just know her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher will be amazing. Honestly, I could watch Meryl Streep paint a room and I would find it entertaining.
2. Red Tails. The story of the Tuskegee Airmen is a fantastic one and I’m always interested in seeing something about them.
3. War Horse. I don’t generally like movies about horses because they are always sad but I’ve heard some Oscar buzz about this one and that’s why I’m putting it on my list. If it doesn’t get any nominations I will not be going to see it.
4. The Descendants. I put George Clooney in the same category as Meryl Streep, frankly.
5. Hugo. Martin Scorcese directed it. Need I say more?
6. The Artist. It’s highly favored for a Best Picture nomination
7. Midnight in Paris. Another favorite for an Oscar nomination and the cast includes Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams. I’m not always a big fan of Woody Allen but this seems like a good one.
8. One for the Money. I know it will probably stink but I love the Stephanie Plum books and I think casting Sherri Shepherd as Lula is perfect so I do want to see the movie. I wouldn’t have chosen Katherine Heigl for the lead but it ought to at least be good for some laughs.
9. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. Not until after I read the book, though.
10. Gone with the Wind. I know it’s weird to list this one and I’ve seen it many, many times but Dale and I just finished listening to the book and now I’m really jonesing to watch the movie again.

Winter arrived with a vengeance last weekend here in Massachusetts. We didn’t get any snow but the temps dropped into the single digits and when it does that I want to hibernate in my cozy house. I’m never at a loss for things to do inside and so today’s Ten on Tuesday topic is 10 Things To Do Inside When It’s Too Cold To Go Outside.

1. Knit. Of course this had to be listed first but the truly great thing about knitting is that you can do it anywhere – inside when it’s cold, outside when it’s warm, it’s the ultimate portable craft.
2. Spin. Like knitting, spinning can be done outside but there’s something truly awesome about spinning with soft wool when it’s cold outside.
3. Build a fire. We have a wood stove so there’s always a fire going here but I remember how comforting it was to build a fire in the fireplace in my old house when the temperatures plummeted.
4. Read. This is best done by that fire.
5. Play video games. On Sunday Dale and I played the Wii for a good portion of the afternoon. The physical games like bowling and tennis were a great alternative when we felt like we had been sitting on the couch for too long.
6. Play cards or a board game. It’s fun, it makes you laugh, and there’s something so cozy about playing games on a cold winter night.
7. Bake cookies. Moving around, gathering ingredients, mixing the batter and all of that will warm you up. The hot oven will warm the kitchen and the yummy cookies will warm your insides.
8. Organize/clean something. My kitchen pantry is calling my name. So far I’m ignoring it but if it’s cold again next weekend I will tackle this.
9. Eat things that will warm your insides. Spicy chili, buffalo chicken dip, a hot bowl of soup – you get the idea.
10. Snuggle by the wood stove. This can also need to another rather pleasant indoor activity. Just sayin.

I like a warm bowl of homemade soup, especially when the temperatures dip below 30° like they do here in January. I made soup on Saturday and again yesterday and that got me to thinking about my favorite kind of soup. And that got me to decide that this week’s Ten on Tuesday topic would be 10 Favorite Soups.

1. Chicken and Rice. I sort of follow Pioneer Woman’s recipe but I don’t add the food coloring, green pepper or the pimientos and I do add celery and carrots.
2. Minestrone. I use a recipe from a cookbook of my mom’s and it has beef that you cook for a long time before adding all the veggies. I love it with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.
3. Campbell’s Vegetable Beef. I know that canned soup is full of sodium and not all that healthy but if I’m going to have a can of soup it’s going to be this one.
4. Panera Bread’s Forest Mushroom Soup. This is no longer on their menu but when they had it I was kind of addicted to it. Honestly it was more like gravy than soup and that may explain the irrational love I had for it.
5. Split Pea with Ham. I realize this is not a favorite for a lot of people but I think it’s wonderful. I love how thick and hearty it is and think it should be kept pretty simple – peas, carrots and chunks of leftover ham. My friend Tom makes great Split Pea with Ham soup.
6. Baked Potato Soup. I have actually never made this but I’ve had it in several restaurants and I always enjoy it. I like it to be creamy and thick and topped with bacon and cheese.
7. Cream of Broccoli. I haven’t made it in ages but it’s a definitely a favorite.
8. Fish chowder. I posted the recipe I use here a while back and it’s still one we all really love.
9. French Onion Soup. Dale loves it when I make this and it’s pretty simple. It takes a while to caramelize all those onions but then it’s easy as can be. And really, it’s an excuse to eat lots of Parmesan cheese.
10. Tomato soup. The canned kind is just fine with me and I like it made with milk. It’s best when served with a grilled cheese sandwich.

I’m not a big fan of resolutions but I do believe in goals. I also believe that one of the best ways to reach a goal is to write it down and so, here is my list of 10 Things I Want to Do in 2012.

1. Make homemade marshmallows. I’ve wanted to try this forever and I hope that the thought of toasting them in our fire pit is the push I need to just do it.
2. Make homemade ravioli. I made pasta last year and it was good. I got inspired and bought ravioli trays but I’ve yet to use them. This is the year!
3. Become someone who enjoys exercise. Last year I started (and stopped) two exercise regimens. I have friends who started and stuck with their new exercise routines and claim to really enjoy their time spent exercising. I enjoy my time sitting on the coach and watching TV.  I’d just really like to become a person who enjoys exercise but I’m not sure how to get there. I will persist, though.
4. Redecorate the living room. At the least I’d like to strip the wallpaper and paint, at the most it would be a full-blown overhault with a new rug, replastering and removing the old fireplace. We shall see.
5. Learn to use Photoshop Elements. I can do the basics but I know there is so much more I should be doing with this software. If I can learn to use this then I can graduate to Lightroom.
6. Go to a Patriots game. I feel like everyone I know went to a game last year. I really hope I get my chance this year.
7. Knit with my handspun. Seriously.
8. Take better pictures. I know my pictures are mostly good but I’ve got a lot to learn, especially with my new camera. I will be doing Project 365 again this year and I know that will help with this goal. I’ve also signed up for MCP Project 12 and I’m thinking that will also push my skills along.
9. Improve my cookie decorating skills. The first thing I’d like to do is get the frosting in the bags without having it wind up all over my hands. And kitchen. I think I’m going to try this tutorial.
10. Have more fun! This ought to cover everything else — traveling, crafting, cooking and more!

If you are anything like me, whether you are preparing to celebrate Christmas, Hannukah, Solstice or just the arrival of the weekend, my guess if you have a lengthy list of things to do. And you probably don’t have a lot of time to devote to writing a Ten On Tuesday list. That’s why this week’s topic is 10 Things You Have to Do Before Christmas or Hannukah or the Weekend. In my case it’s Christmas and here’s my list.

1. Finish wrapping gifts. I only have 4 things left to wrap but I don’t have boxes for them and that’s the hold up right now.
2. Go to iParty and get plates, napkins, forks, and knives for our Christmas Eve party. This should actually be accomplished by the time many of you are reading this.
3. Buy the Swedish stuff – meatball mix, Swedish rye bread, cardamom braid, and Farmer’s cheese are all on the list.
4. Finalize the menu for Christmas Eve. I pretty much know what I’m doing but I need to make a couple of decisions and then create a shopping list.
5. Bake and decorate sugar cookies. This may not actually happen, it depends on how much time I actually have.
6. Grocery shop. I need to get food (and drinks!) for Christmas Eve.
7. Buy 2 more gifts. They are both gift cards and are both in the same strip mall so this should be relatively painless.
8. Make an ice ring. I always forget to do this so I’m hoping posting it here will help me to remember.
9. Work stuff – payrolls and schedules and monthly reports all need to be done by Thursday because I am on vacation next week. Hoo. And ray, too.
10. Cook! This could be another 10 things alone – I have to make the macaroni & cheese and the baked party dip, the finger sandwiches and the Swedish meatballs and all the other goodies that are traditionally served at our house on Christmas Eve.