Homemade Creamy Potato Salad

Its June! Which means picnics on the beach, bonfires, and late night parties. What better way to be prepared then with delicious potato salad!

Homemade Creamy Potato Salad

Ingredients:

(This is enough for 4 people)

6 medium sized golden potatoes

2 tablespoons bacon bits

1 tablespoon oregano

6-7 tablespoons mayonnaise

1/4 cup of shredded cheese

A pot

Water

Potato masher or whisk

Directions:

1. Peel potatoes, cut up into 1" by 1" squares and let boil for an hour, strain

2. Once the potatoes are slightly cooled, but still warm, mash them until creamy

3. Once the potatoes are creamy, add mayo, oregano, bacon, and cheese

4. Mix until cheese is melted

Congratulations! Now you have delicious potato salad to enjoy with your friends this summer, or to just eat at work!

Crochet Shell Border

Often, there is an ending on a piece of work (scarf, hat, etc) that your doing that needs more flair to its edges. Therefore your piece of work would do with a border. One of my favorite borders to use, is the Shell border because of the rounded look it gives to a piece.

Crochet Shell Border

(The image above is a shell border on a crochet hat made out of white cotton yarn with a J size hook)

This border is very simple, in each crochet space single or double crochet (depending the size of the item you are crocheting) three to five times (once again, depending on the size of the item you are crocheting). Proceed to the next crochet space and continue until the row is complete.

Voila! A perfect way to finish the tops of socks, the ends of scarves, and the cuffs on mittens!

Simple Winter Crochet Scarf Pattern

As winter is in full blast on the Northern hemisphere it is time to bundle up! And what better way then to make a scarf for your self or loved one. I love this pattern because its easy to do and fairly quick depending on the yarn you use!

Simple Winter Crochet Scarf

For this pattern you could use one kind of yarn throughout the whole scarf or you could do something like I did, which is take six balls of yarn (2 Cream, 1 Wine Red, 1 Orange Masala, 1 Forest Green, and 1 Moss Green) and have the colors alternate every two rows.

Items needed:

One "J" Crochet hook

2 balls of one base color

One ball each of 3-4 various colors

(I used Knit Picks brand 100% Peruvian wool, 231 yards (50 grams) per ball)

Scarf Pattern:

1. Chain 26

2. On every other chain you will want to sc2, ch2, sc2, repeat until row is complete

3. On the next row in the 2ch space of the previous row, sc2, ch2, sc2, repeat until row is complete (The pattern should start to look like the one shown below)

4. Repeat step 3 until scarf is desired length

5. Once scarf is desired length tie off, and your scarf is complete!

Note: If you are alternating colors, I highly recommend you alternate every two rows versus every row, itll make it easier to alternate colors and generally looks more appealing to the eyes once the scarf is finished.

DIY: Facial Scrub

Perfect for those days when you need to feel refreshed or a Girls-Night-In get together, these two facial scrubs with have your skin feel softer and revitalized!

Ingredients for Merry Mint Facial Scrub - 

1 1/2 tbsp Honey

1 tea bag Mint Tea

1 tbsp Granulated Sugar

Ingredients for Warm Green Tea Facial Scrub - 

1 1/2 tbsp Honey

1 tea bag Green Tea

1/2 tbsp Brown Sugar

1/2 tbsp Granulated Sugar

Other items needed - A kettle, facial pads (if preferred), 2 mugs, 2 small bowls, a towel 

(Note: Only need two of each item if you are making both facial scrubs)

How To Start - 

1. Turn on your kettle and bring water to a boil. Once water is boiled pour it into a mug with the tea of the mixture of your choice.

2. Wait for tea to cool (The tea must be cooled enough that it will not melt the sugar or brown sugar)

3. While waiting for tea to cool, in a small bowl mix honey & sugar for the Merry Mint Facial Scrub (Right in Image) OR mix honey, brown sugar and sugar for the Warm Green Tea Facial Scrub (Left in Image)

4. Now that the tea is cool, and 1 tsp of each tea into the bowl with your mixture. Mix together. (If you wish for your scrub to be less thick, then add more tea)

5. Your facial scrub us now ready to be applied. Using your fingers (or facial pads) to rub the mixture onto your face. Gently rub around in small circles, making sure to get all over your face. 

6. Once the mixture has been rubbed in thoroughly, rinse your face with luke warm water

7. Use towel to dry off

8. Feel your face, you'll be impressed by soft it is!