Craft #4:

This is just about the easiest craft ever! Fill a mason jar with some water, add a floating candle (Michael’s), and tie the jar with twine. This would be a lovely addition to an outdoor picnic!

Cooking attempt #1: Oven-roasted garlic and cilantro potatoes

Just the other day, the AC in our house broke at the very worst time possible, and so my family and I decided to enjoy a peaceful dinner out on our deck. My mom made some fried chicken and asked me to prepare a light side dish, so I decided to try out a recipe I found on Pinterest.

These potatoes were super easy to cook! It only took 15 minutes of prep time and 30 minutes in the oven, which was perfect since I wanted to spend as little time as possible inside the sauna that was my house (it goes without saying that I was out the door as soon as I put those potatoes in the oven!). Anyways, I highly recommend trying this if you are a potato lover like me :)

Here’s my take on the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 medium size Russet potatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees and prepare baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil coated in cooking spray.
2. Combine garlic and olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 2 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Remove garlic with a strainer and set aside in a bowl.
3. Place quartered potatoes in a large bowl and drizzle garlic oil over them. Toss to coat the potatoes.
4. Arrange potatoes on prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown; toss halfway through cook time. Remove from oven and place into serving dish.
6. Combine reserved garlic and cilantro. Sprinkle mixture evenly over potatoes. Season with salt and pepper (to taste).

Craft #3: Tribute to Home

I only have 2 months left before school starts, and I wanted to make something to remember my hometown by when I move into my new apartment. I saw this cute project on Pinterest the other day, and decided to give it a try. It took me about 3 days to complete, but it was totally worth it!

Instead of making the plaque like the OP did, I just bought a precut one from Michael’s for about $9. I used a thicker crochet string and put in the nails first before painting—personal choice. I noticed that you didn’t need to wrap the string very tightly, since the tension started to bend the nails lining the heart. So learn from my mistake, and you can avoid warping the hammer job you worked so hard on :P