Ten on Tuesday: 10 Favorite Beach Songs

Now I don't get to the beach much, but I definately associate certain songs that I love with both the beach and summer.  These ten songs are some that frequent my iPod in the summer months and have this strange ability to crank up the volume and open all my car windows.... bizarre huh?

1) Kokomo by the Beach Boys - Classic song that I listened to a ton in middle school.

2) La Isla Bonita by Madonna - Addictive as most Madonna songs are. 

3) Summer Nights by the cast from Grease - It's amazing just how differently boys and girls intepret relationships :)

4) Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves - So positive and happy sounding that is gives you energy!

5) Daydream Believer by the Monkees - Gotta love the Monkees.... you just gotta.

6) I Get Around by The Beach Boys - Love love love this song, another one that is really peppy and energizes you.  Not to mention it is in Flight of the Navigator :)

7) Summer of '69 by Brian Adams - Ah, good old Bryan Adams, what would I have done in middle school without you?

8) Summer in the City by Lovin' Spoonful - I love to listen to this one in my car on the first hot day of summer.  It's kind of a tradition for me.

9) Life is a Highway by Tom Cochrane - Hmmmm, many of these songs seem to be about traveling.  I have always been a roadtripper, so I guess that makes sense.

10) Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo Ole' - This song is just so mellow and relaxing... I'll let it speak for itself.

10 on Tuesday: 10 Favorite Birds



So, I have to admit that my 10 favorite birds are not exactly the ones you think would be anyone's favorites.  I like birds that are more interesting than pretty, especially the ones that make me tilt my head to the side and say "huh?" 

Ducks at Hunnewell Park in
Wellesley, MA

1) Peacock - Ok, so this bird is just pretty.  I love the long complex feathers they have and how they can hide their plumage. Group name: a Muster



2) Flamingo - Any bird that can wear hot pink and not be ashamed is good with me.  While flamingos are beautiful in a lot of ways, they are a little odd looking as well.  But apparently we like them enough to put fake ones made out of plastic on our lawns. Group name: a Stand.

Seagull while sailing around
Dead Neck/Sampson's Island
Sancutary in Cotuit, MA

3) Duck - I looooove ducks!  In college we had a nice gig pond in the center of campus and there were quite a few ducks that called that pond home.  We named them, gave them bread and enjoyed watching them every day... I think I have always really enjoyed feeding ducks since I was a little kid and used to go to the park to feed them with my Aunt Sandy.  Group name: a Badelynge, Bunch, Brace, Flock, Paddling, Raft or Team. 

4) Seagull - I spend a good deal of my time when I'm on vacation either on or near the ocean and seagulls are part of that complete oceanside package.  They are very resourceful birds.  Probably my favorite things about them are their foraging skills.  I have personally been dive bombed by one trying to get my hot dog.  While annoying, seagulls do really entertain me. Group name: a Flock or Colony (breeding group only).



Hawk at King Richard's Faire

in Carver, MA

5) Hummingbird - I just can't get over how these little guys even function.  They are so tiny and have to eat almost constantly so that they can keep moving.  I also find it really cool that when they fly by you they sounds like bees. Group name: a Charn

6) Hawk - Hawks are predatory birds with good eyesight that tend to hunt from above in concealed perches.  To me they are just beautiful and look very intelligent.  Group name: a Cast



7) Owl - I like how owls look all nice and sweet, but actually are excellent hunters, especially in low light conditions.  They have serrated edges on their flying feathers to make them quiet flyers and they can turn their heads up to 270 degrees in either direction.  Very cool.  Group name: a Parliament.

8) Swan - Ok, I love swans because they are just so graceful, serene and gorgeous.  A girl has to like something pretty doesn't she? Group name:  a Bevy, Lamentation, Herd, Game, Team or Wedge.

 

Swan at the Reservior in
Waltham, MA

9) Crow - Crows are in the same family as ravens, which are also pretty neat. I think I mostly like crows because of their black feathers and very distunctive call. Granted I really don't appreciate the latter when they are camping out behind my apartment buiding making a racket at 5 in the morning. Oh, also of note, a group of crows is called a murder.

10) Vulture - Vultures are opportunists and attack the ill or weak.  Some new world vultures have a keen sense of smell that helps them find food from up to a mile mile away.  Group name: a Wake.



Ten on Tuesday: Ten Things I Love About My Family

The Molliwog

I know this is about family, but I do have some very close friends (and animals) who I consider to be family in addition to those both biologically related or via marriage. You know who you are :-)

1) They are always there for me... whether I'm happy, sad, or indifferent. 

2) They love unconditionally despite my (many) shortcomings.

3) They put up with me constantly talking about whatever knitting, crocheting, stamping or other random project I'm working on.

4) They are extremely generous with their time.

5) They are willing to tell me things I don't want to hear, but need to hear anyway.

6) They are ready to give me an opinion and advice whenever I ask for it, or they think I need it.

7) They are excellent at encouragement and suppport me in whatever new thing I want to try.

8) They make me stop and think, not just go through my life in my own bubble, focused on my own issues and wants.

9) They hold me accountable for my actions.

10) And last but not least... they are all wonderful, hilarious, loving people and I am very blessed to have them in my life!

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Favorite Snacks

1) Nature Valley Nut Clusters - Just found these when I was picking up as stack at a gas station a few weeks ago.  I was shocked to find such a healthy option.

2) Sensible Portions Veggie Chips and Straws - Another gas station find.  Perhaps HESS should be the place I start looking when I crave new and different snack foods... two out of ten favorites isn't bad. 

3) Stop & Shop Bruscetta Salad on french bread - Had my frst taste of this snack in a long time this weekend.  I totally forgot how yummy it is.  Too bad it seems like a seasonal item at my store.

4) Hood Cottage Cheese with Pineapple - A great sweet and creamy treat.  Almost feels like I'm eating dessert... almost.

5) Quaker Chewie Snack Bars - Good to throw in your pocket when you are running around and very busy.  I really like the chocolate chip ones.

6) Granny Smith Apples and Peanut Butter - Just the right amount of tart, sweet and salty!

7) Blue Diamond Bold Flavors Almonds - My favorites are Wasabi & Soy and Smokehouse.  Very filling and good for you if ou can stick to the serving size.

8) Celery Sticks and Blue Cheese Dressing - A nod to Rick on the Knit Wits Podcast... I must admit this snack is fantastic so long as you aren't trying to record a podcast while you're eating.  Best podcasting bit ever!  Sir, your snark is epic!

9) Bagel, Pepperoni and Blue Cheese Dressing - Might as well continue with the blue cheese theme!  This snack goes back to when I used to do live action role play (LARPing) with some of my friends back in college.  We'd pack up and head down to CT for a weekend and live off of a cooler until Sunday night when we would leave and go out for dinner.  This bagel sandwich was great because you only needed to refridgerate it after the packages were opened and most of the time there wasn't any leftovers to worry about in the first place. 

10) Curry English Muffins - My mom used to make these for us on Christmas eve and they are fantastic!  They are a mixture of olives, curry and cheese served on top of an english muffic and toasted.  So very yummy and a Loranz Family Tradition.

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Favorite One Hit Wonders

Apparently there were quite a few one hit wonders in the 90's!  All of my favorites are from then, which I guess makes sense as that when I was in middle and high school, my musical formulative years so to speak.  And just so you know, I still adore all of these songs.... no matter how bad they might sound.  All the links go directly to a video of the song on YouTube, so feel free to listen to each.

1) Walking in Memphis - Mark Cohn

2) Life is a Highway - Tom Cochrane

3) Stay - Shakespeare's Sister

4) I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) - The Proclaimers

5) Breakfast at Tiffany's - Deep Blue Something

6) The Freshman - The Verve Pipe

7) Bittersweet Symphony -The Verve

8) Closing Time - Semisonic

9) Mambo No. 5 - Lou Bega

10) Three Little Pigs - Green Jelly

Well, that was a fun jaunt down memory lane.  I think I might have to make a new playlist in iTunes now!

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Favorite Smells

1) Pine needles - They remind me of being in Maine and playing in the treehouse my grandfather built for me along the path through the woods between my families houses. 

2) Freshly cut hay - The smell of hay is so sweet!  I usually smell it when I'm driving by some humongous field in my car, but I would be completely happy just rolling around in it too.

3) Sheep fleece - I had no idea how much I liked this smell until I bought my first fleece back in October.  It is so gloriously sheepy smelling!  I just kept on going over to it, opening the bag and taking a huge whiff.  I always walked off with a big smile.

4) Baked goods - Enough said.

5) Green tea - I love the clear crisp smell of green tea.  I even used to wear perfume scented like it.

6) Campfire, grill or fireplace smoke - Ok, so what I really like it the smell of good wood burning.  It reminds me of camp and cozy nights by the fireplace.

7) Crisp spring/fall air - At these times of year I seem to always want to hang my laundry out to dry.  I think the freshness reminds me of clean clothes somehow.

8) Freshly brewed coffee - There is nothing as eye opening as the smell of coffee.  It's truly a psychological high.

9) Sea air - I love the ocean and sailing, so the salty crisp sea air is a very comforting smell for me.  Reminds me of all kinds of great memories.

10) Clean laundry - Again, another thing I could easily roll in and smell all day :)

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Favorite Drinks

The original Ten on Tuesday theme (that I poach from Carole Knits every week) for today was 10 Favorite Cocktails, but seeing as I am not much of a drinker, I decided to change it to 10 Favorite Drinks instead.  My list may or may not include cocktails ;-)

1) Turkey Hill Diet Green Iced Tea - I drink this every day and it is awesome.

2) Dunkin Donuts Iced Coffee - Inhaled as often as possible as budget allows.

3) Diet Coke - Runner up to my iced green tea and my staple drink for eating out.

4) Malibu and Diet Coke - My party drink.  Most people tend to have this stuff on hand and it tastes wonderful.

5) Bloody Mary - A brunchtime masterpiece!

6) Dunkin Donuts Hot Chocolate - Liquid awesome, but only in the winter when it is REALLY cold!

7) Mimosas made with Asti Spumanti - A Christmas morning tradition in my family.  I like it best with the asti since I don't like dry champagne. 

8) Starbucks Frappachino - Pretty much the only thing drinkwise I like from Starbucks. 

9) Hot Green Tea - My favorite when feasting on sushi. 

10) White Sangria - I have only had this once at a bachelorette party, but it was fabulous and beared mentioning.  Oh, and I have a picture of it too!

10 on Tuesday (a tad late): 10 Favorite Non-Knitting Blogs

Wow, I read a lot of knitting blogs, or ones that predominantly feature knitting anyway.  So, coming up with 10 non-knitting ones is actually quite hard.  But heck, I'll give it a go!

1) The Novice Chef Blog - Great recipes and photos of the cooking process.

2) One Cool Thing a Day - This blog has some really neat stuff on it.  Usually videos and very entertaining.

3) creative chick - A crafty blog by a very crafty girl.  Jenn is a very talented class instructor that my mom and I take classes with at our favorite craft store, Ink About It in Westford MA.  Jenn's home base is Colorful Creations in Hyannis, MA but she is nice enough to travel onto the mainland to see us less Cape bound crafters. Her store is really cool to, so if you are in Hyannis, check it out.  They are right on Main St. 

4) Cake Wrecks - Hilariously horrible cakes.   Oh, and some really nice ones too when they decide to show what cake decorators can do when they get it right.

5) Dark Roasted Blend - This site just has tons if neat images.  Great photography and vintage imagery about here, so I think you know why I like this one so much.

6) Planet June - Ha!  This site is about crochet... not knitting!  I win :-D  June makes the cutest amigurumi ever!  In addition to all her crocheted pretties of which she sells patterns for, she also plays with punch needle and polymer clay.

Ok, I give up.  I read WAY too many knitting blogs.  For the six non-knitting center blogs listed, I think I have 6 or 7 times the number of knitting related one that I read regularly.  So sue me.... a girl likes what a girl likes :-)

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Things On Your Bedside Table

I don't think I have anything close to ten things on my bedside table!  But here goes:

1) CPAP machine - I have sleep apnea.  Enough said.

2) LED alarm clock - Battery powered and I haven't change the single AA battery in it for at least years if not a decade.  Weird huh?  It's kind of like playing alarm clock roulette

3) Glasses - Well, they are there when I'm asleep anyway.

4) Slipper socks - They aren't on the top, but underneath on the shelf, but that works for me!  My favorite pair are striped knitted ones with cat faces on the ends that look hand made.  My mom bought them for me a bunch or year back way before I even thought about knitting.  Mom's are good like that.

5) My bible - Really, I have several there to be precise.  One my mom bought for me just this year which is supposed to be a really good and easy to understand translation all the way down to the one I got from the pastor of our church when I was in second grade.  It has my name written on the cover and has a dedication from the pastor and my life verse written in it.  In case you are curious, the verse is Philippians 3:10.  Good verse.  It also has all sorts of handwritten notes and highlighting in it.  What can I say, I believe in using my books and this one is well loved."

6) Box fan - I like moving air when I'm sleeping since I tend to get very warm otherwise.  The white noise is also quite nice.

Well, I think that's it unfortunately.... not much stuff there.  The fan and cpap machine do take up a lot of space mind you.  Anyway, I wish everyone a good night.  If you are living in one of the 30 states being affected by the blizzard coming through, good luck!

Ten On Tuesday: Ten Ways to be More Organized

1. Have a To Do List - Actually, I have two lists.  One for work and one for home.  For home I have an app on my iPhone called Tasks that is with me wherever I go so I can keep track of what I need to do.
   
   
2. File Your Bills - Get a hanging file box or an accordion file and keep all unpaid bills in an "unpaid" folder until you take care of them.  Then all you have to do is make another folder for each of your bills to hold everything that has already been paid.  You can start over with a new folder every year and just keep the previous year's folder in some kind of an archive.
   
   
3. Keep Your Coupons/Reusable Bags With You - If you don't have them, then you can't use them!  I haven't started doing this yet, but having a little zippered pouch with your coupons in it is a great idea.  Keep it in your purse/wallet or car so you don't get to the store without the things you need.  We are forever leaving our reusable grocery bags at home when we go shopping.  If you just pop them into the car after emptying them out, then you will have them for next time.
   
   
4. Keep a Calendar - Pick your poison... I use one on my iPhone that reminds me of appointments, birthdays and play dates.  Want one you can access anywhere?  Use Google's free online calendar.  You can even sync it to Outlook. 
   
   
5. Manage Your Emails -I have a rule.  Emails stay in my inbox until I deal with whatever they are about completely.  And I HATE having a large inbox.  So, when the email and it's contents have been dealt with I can happily file it away in it's own appropriately named little folder.  I'm telling you, if I didn't do this at work, I would forget to do so many things!!!
   
   
6. Plan on Leftovers - Make enough dinner so you have enough leftovers for lunch the next day.  If you are like me and aren't a big fan of the plain old homemade sandwich for lunch, having leftovers for the next day will cut down on ordering out which is beneficial to your health and wallet.
   
   
7. Don't Put Things Off - When it comes to home, I am the queen of I-can-do-it-later.  Dishes?... tomorrow.  Laundry?... I've got a shirt and pants to wear.  If I just did these things when I had a spare moment, I wouldn't end up staying up until 2am waiting for the drying to finish or having a huge pile of dirty dishes in the kitchen I have to do before I can make dinner.  As you can probably tell, I'm not so good at this one even though I know better.
   
   
8. Don't Make a Trip Empty Handed - Getting up to get a snack?  Grab a nearby soda can or two and drop them into the recycling.  Going to get a book?  Drag that laundry basket into the bedroom on your way.  The more you just do little things to clean up as you are doing the things you DO want to do, the more you will get done of the stuff you HAVE to get done.
   
   
9. Save, Save, Save -  No matter how small, but some money away every time you get a paycheck.  That way when you want to do something fun that is out of your normal budget, you might just be able to.
   
   
10. Always Have Something Productive To Do with You - Women have it easy.  It is socially acceptable and even trendy to carry around ginormous handbags that we can pack full of neat things to do when we have to wait for anything.  While I am not a big fan of monstrous purses, and tend to carry either medium or small sized ones, even I can stuff a book, small knitting project or Kindle (if I had one) into it.  I know this doesn't sound like a way to be more organized... but more of  a way to not be bored, but by having these kinds of things on your person, you can accomplish quite a lot. 

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Things in Your Refrigerator Right Now

Not much!  Our refrigerator seems really bare for some reason.  Oh yeah, it could be that we actually cleaned it out :P

1. Dole Caesar Salad Kit
2. Stop & Shop Cottage Cheese and Pineapple
3. Chocolate Fruit Dip
4. Apple pie
5. Lots of onions...
6. Butter
7. Sour cream
8. Leftover kielbasa from last night
9. Mayo (leftover from epic pasta salad making last week) 
10. Condiments galore!  And I mean everything you could ever think of too.  We adore condiments in my family and my mom always seems to have some neat new mustard or sauce every time she sees us.

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Reasons to Love Bacon

1) It's bad for you, but not too bad for you to not have it once and a while.

2) Anything wrapped in it tastes like heaven. (Dates, scallops, shrimp, steak, you name it!)

3) You can even find vegan varieties for those of the anti-meat persuasion. (see Tastefully Simple's Bacon Bacon Dip mix)

4) It's &%$@# delicious!

5) When you have to get up early on a weekend, nothing makes it more worthwhile than a hot breakfast involving bacon.

6) Ummmm..... I can't think of any more reasons because the previous 5 are enough for me!

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Things To Bring on Vacation

1. Camera - To document your trip, silly moment and allow you to blog about it all once you get home.
2. iPhone - Your mobile internet playland.  I just adore being able to check my email or play on Facebook while on a sailboat.
3. A Good Book - My love of reading is extreme, but time doesn't always allow for the obsession.  Vacation is a perfect time to catch up when you have a few spare moments.
4. Sunscreen - for those who burn at just the thought of sun.
5. Crafty Project - I can't leave home without one.... and believe me I've tried.
6. Husband - Vacations are way better with him around :)
7. Flip flops - I hate shoes.... so flip flops are the closest to being barefoot.
8. Healthy Snacks - For going to the beach, on a sail or a late night craving when everything is already closed.
9. Sense of Adventure - Try something new!  Go kayaking, biking or for a hike. 
10. Spontenaity - Be open to all opportunities.  You never know when something interesting will fall in your path and you'll have to jump on it to take advantage.

Ten on Tuesday: Ten Things to Do Instead of Watching TV

Yeah, so it isn't Tuesday... whatever!  :P

1) Read a book - I have recently started reading obsessively again.... I think my knitting is suffering for it.

2) Go for a walk or a swim - I really should take my own advice on this one.

3) Start a blog - Blogs are a great creative outlet and can be a great way to journal about your day/week.

4) Play with fiber - Knit, crochet, spin, weave... you name it.  It's all fun :D and addictive!

5) Scrapbook or make your own cards - You need surprisingly little to make a cute card or a nice Just a stamp, ink and some markers.  I have plenty of all, so theoretically it's really easy for me...

6) Photograph your world - Take photos of what you think is mundane.  Try macro photography or some other specific kind to test out your skills.  Then, use your pictures on that blog or in a scrapbook.  Or, if you really like them, frame them and use them for decor.

7) Bake or can - I haven't tried canning yet, but I want to.  Baking however, is a great thing to do when you have extra time.  Once you have a cake or cookie recipe that works, often you can substitute flavors and get very different results.  For example, I have a Lemon - Honey Cookie I make, but you can really change out the lemon for any citrus available to you.  I've done orange, lime, lemon, lime and I'm thinking graprefruit would be good as well.  Canning is good because you are prepping food for a later date.  I'm contemplating making tomato sauce as my first venture in canning, but I don't think I'll get to do that until next summer.

8) Catch up on reading blogs (or in my case reading the message boards on Ravelry) - It's good to get caught up on your chosen social media.  I got so off of reading my usual blogs that I had a backlog of 700+ posts to read after I went on vacation a few weeks ago.  A happy result of me getting caught up this week was that I went through and unsubsribed from all those blogs I really don't read or haven't been updated in say a year. 

9) Play some games - Board games, video games, computer, on your iPhone.... any of them work and cause your brain a little more exercise then just plopping in front of the tube mindlessly.  My favorites of late are any of the Monkey Island series for the PC and Tap Resort for the iPhone.

10) Plan your next vacation - Explore online where you might want to go and all the activities you want to do.  Once you have an idea, you can start saving and be one step closer to making your vacation a reality.

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Books on My Summer Reading List

I have waaaaay too many books!  This is mostly because I have a nasty habit of snapping up little paperbacks that tickle my fancy.  So today's 10 on Tuesday is a good way for me to understand just how many books I already own that as of yet I haven't read.  One can only hope that I will finally get through my ever-growing list of "to read" and not just continue to constantly add to it.

1. Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs -  I've had this book ever since I started seriously knitting, but said hobby has drastically cut down on my reading time over the past year.
   
   
   
2. Oath of Fealty by Elizabeth Moon - Elizabeth wrote one of the best trilogies I have ever read, The Deed of Paksenarrion.  It is an excellent book and I would highly recommend it to anyone.
   
   
   
3. Tapestry of Spells by Lynn Kurland - Lynn is one of my favorite romance authors.  She actually includes plot and character development in her stories unlike many others.  This book is the fourth in her 9 Kingdoms series which is more fantasy based than her medieval and renaissance with a dash of paranormal style romances that were my first love.
   
   
   
4. Stone of Tears by Terry Goodkind - Actually I have read about half of this book but my hobbies keep on getting in the way of my reading lately.  This book is the second in the Sword of Truth series which is another outstanding set of fantasy books.
   
   
   
5. Ten Things I Love About You by Julia Quinn - Julia is another one of my favorite romance authors.  Her stories are witty, her characters have depth and what makes her books even more memorable is that one of my good friends bought me my first book by this author.  After plowing through that read, I proceeded to snap up anything else the author had written and this past year finally caught up.  I'm just really happy that she now has a new book out that I can put on my wish list.
   
   
   
6. Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Ben H. Winters - Really?  Do you need to know why I want to read this?  I didn't think so.
   
   
   
7. How to Knit a Love Song by Rachael Herron - Knitting + Romance = Win.  Enough said.
   
   
   
8. Julie & Julia by Julie Powel - Have the book.  Saw the movie first.  You see my problem?
   
   
   
9. Spin to Knit by Shannon Okey - A great book my mom got me when I decided to buy my wheel.  I've perused, but haven't had the chance to just sit down and read it.
   
   
   
10. The Knitter's Book of Wool by Clara Parkes - Ok, so I don't own this one yet, but I want to since I'm spinning a lot of wool these days. 

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Favorite Children’s Books

This is gonna be so much fun!

1) Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

2) A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein - I adored all of his wonderful poetry books!

3) Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss - duh!

4) Lizard Music by Daniel Pinkwater - I remember loving this book when I was a kid.  Apparently I acquired my love of sci-fi at a young age :-)

5) The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

6) Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst

7) Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett - Too cool for words and now it's even an animated movie!

8) Any of the Berenstain Bears books by Stan Berenstain - They are all funny and I remember them all.

9) Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish

10) The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks - I believe I read this in 5th grade for school and loved it enough to read the rest in the series.

So.... it's usually really hard for me to come up with 10 things for these posts, but favorite children's books are apparently easy for me to remember and I enjoy the trip down memory lane, so.... I'm going to keep going!

11) Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell

12) A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

13) Bunnicula by James Howe - Vampire bunny goodness.  Another trend that started early with me.

14) Charlotte's Web by E. B. White

15) Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey

Ok, I think that's it for now.  Give me enough time and I could probably list everything I read as a kid! lol

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Favorite Cookout Foods

1) Cucumber Salad - my version of what they serve at Tennessee's and Firefly's.  They key lies in the rice wine vinegar.

2) Brian's burger flavor of the moment - whatever he comes up with is always outstanding.  Last week we had burgers with fresh herbs, chipotle in adobo and I believe some bbq sauce for good measure.  Yummy!

3) Roasted baby red potatoes - slathered in fresh dill, olive oil, kosher salt and left on the grill to crisp up.

4) Grilled meatloaf - best meatloaf ever!

5) Cheddarwurst - a pork and beef sausage that has bit of cheddar cheese in it.  Excellent on your run of the mill hot dog bun and over the top good with kraut or spicy mustard.

6) Grilled pineapple rings - these are are best on top of vanilla bean ice cream.

7) Ice cream sandwiches made with home made chocolate chip cookies - had these at a friend's cookout recently and they were amazing.  I happened to stumble on one filled with coffee ice cream.  It was divine!

8) Pasta salad - I have a pretty darn good recipe for this now, with plenty of fresh veggies for crunch.

9) Watermelon wedges - enough said.

10) Cole slaw - great on the side and even better when used as a burger topping!

Ten on Tuesday (a tad late): Ten Favorite Musicals

1) Les Miserables - I saw Les Mis for the first time in high school and was totally hooked.  Even my husband, who in general doesn't like musicals, likes this tale of Jean Val Jean, convict 24601.  My favorite song has to be On my Own.  I love the original London cast, but unfortunately I can't seem to find a link to that version and nonw of the rest sound nearly as good.  Another good one is Do You Hear the People Sing.  You can see a good clip of that by clicking here.

2) Sweeney Todd - I saw the Angela Lansbury version of this great musical for the first time with my friend(s) in a viewing room at the library in college.  Ever since then the musical has intrigued me.  Johnny Depp didn't hurt my liking of the musical either :-)  Favorite songs = Green Finch and Linnet Bird (one that a friend was very good at singing in high school) and The Worst Pies in London (both Angela Lansbury and Helena Bonham Carter did great versions).

3) Phantom of the Opera - The first big musical theatre production that I recall seeing.  I know I saw many on the small stage, but I saw this at the Wang and it was a big deal.  I spent much of my free time in high school striving to sound like Christine along with my other friends.  As I recall the cable access hallway had some damn good acoustics!  Favorite songs include Think of Me and Phantom of the Opera. You can see a good version of the former here.

4) Wicked - So, I've never actually seen this musical.  I read the book and listened to a few clips on the music online and then just downloaded the soundtrack, knowing that I would love it.  And love it I do.  I hope some day I can actually see a performance.  My favorite song has to be Popular which you can see here.

5) Little Shop of Horrors - This is such an awesome musical!  The movie starring Rick Moranis is hilarious.  Steve Martin plays the dentist and her is absolutely perfect.  Favorite songs are Skid Row, Suddenly Seymore and Dentist.

6) Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog - Not a standard of musical theatre, but a musical nonetheless.  Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillian and Felicia Day are wonderful in this web musical.  Favorite songs include Bad Horse Chorus, A Man's Gotta Do and Brand New Day.  Just download the whole thing now and get it out of the way.

7) Once More with Feeling - Joss Whedon's musical episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer sung by the actual cast.  Some are better singers than others with Anthony Stewart Head and Amber Benson showing their vocal chops off the best.  Favorite songs include I've got a Theory / Bunnies / If We're Together which can be heard here, Walk Through the Fire and Under Your Spell.

8) Nightmare Before Christmas - Tim Burton combines Christmas, Halloween, claymation and singing with great results.  Favorite songs include This is Halloween and Sally's Song.

9) Bye Bye Birdie - The version I'm most familiar with is the 2005 tv miniseries starring Jason Alexander and Vanessa Williams.  The story is of the rock legend Conrad Birdie being drafted into the army and how his adoring (and squealing) fans say farwell before he heads off to war.  There are quite a few excellent songs but my favorites are Bye Bye Birdie (you can see a clip here) and Spanish Rose.

10) Newsies - Ah.... gotta love those Disney musicals!  This was another high school obsession for me.  I adored Bill Pullman and musicals, so when I heard he sang a few lines in this I most definitely had a squee moment.  The movie is the story of Pulitzer and Hearst raising the cost of their papers by a penny and how it affects the newspaper boy that were trying to scrape by a living.  It is wonderful and stars a very young Christian Bale.  My favorites from the movie are King of New York and The World Will Know.  Below you can see the latter:

10 on Tuesday - Ten Places That Make Me Happy

1. On the island in Maine
2. On the sailboat at the Cape
3. At knit night
4. Taking a nap with my kitty (anywhere)
5. Kayaking down the Concord river
6. Rocking in our rocking chair on the patio
7. In a hammock
8. Anywhere with live choral music
9. Driving down the highway with the windows open and radio blaring on that "perfect" day
10. Anywhere with my hubbie

Ten on Tuesday - Ten Favorite iPhone Apps

1) We Rule - My favorite iPhone game of all time.  It is very much like Farmtown in a lot of ways, but cooler.  You can take a look at it here.

2) Facebook - I don't think I need to explain this one.

3) Evernote - I can type a note on my phone and it syncs with my online profile, or I can type a note on my desktop and my phone is sent the info.  Genius!

4) WoW Armory - A must have for the World of Warcraft enthusiast who just needs to know what gear they are wears, their stats and what achievements they have completed.... right NOW!  You can check it out here.

5) Auditorium - A very fun music and physics (kinda) game.  Probably the first game I truly enjoyed on the phone.  You can check it out and even play it online here.

6) Gmail - It's simple and at works.  Enough said.

7) Tweetdeck - An excellent twitter interface.  It also is a great desktop application.

8) GroceryIQ - A grocery store app that lets you make lists and even scan bar codes.  You can check it out here.

9) Angry Birds - Fun new game I found thanks to @NathanFillion on Twitter.  It involves hurling birds at pigs using a sling shot.  Hilarious!  Take a look at it here.

10) Bank of America App - A must have for my mobile banking needs :-)