Get out a large prep bowl and measure 2 tablespoons of sea salt into it. Add 1 cup (236 ml) of warm water and stir it until the water dissolves. You should also cut off any fat off of 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. Try to make your brine early in the day or the night before, so the chicken can soak for a long time. Place the chicken thighs in the bowl and add enough cold water to the bowl to cover the chicken. Add one tray of ice cubes to make the water very cold. Stir the water around and put the bowl in the refrigerator. Chill the chicken for several hours or overnight. Using bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs will give the dish more flavor and keep it moister than boneless, skinless chicken. Turn the oven on to 400°F (200°C). Take the chicken out of the refrigerator and drain the brine. Blot the chicken with paper towels until it's completely dry. Removing the water will help the chicken crisp up in the oven. Get out a large roasting pan that's big enough to hold all of the pieces of chicken in a single layer. Place 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter into the pan and put the pan in the preheating oven. The butter will melt and the pan should become hot while you prepare the chicken. Heating the pan will also help the chicken develop a crispy crust. Pour 1/2 cup (62 g) of all-purpose flour into a large plastic freezer bag. Add the last tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of coarsely ground black pepper. Shake the bag a little, so the salt and pepper mix. Put 2 of the chicken thighs in at a time and shake them until they're coated. If you put all of the chicken thighs in at once, they may not be evenly covered in the flour mixture. Remove the 2 chicken thighs from the bag and shake off any extra flour. Set them on a plate while you coat the rest of the thighs. Use hot pads to take the hot baking dish out of the oven. Lay the coated chicken thighs skin-side down in the roasting pan. If you don't shake the extra flour off of the chicken, the chicken will have a thick coating that doesn't become crunchy. Put the baking dish in the oven and cook the chicken for 40 minutes. You'll hear the chicken sizzle as it oven fries. It should become dark brown and crispy on the bottom.  Avoid flipping the chicken as it cooks. Depending on your oven, you may need to cook the chicken longer until it becomes golden brown. Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven and use a thin spatula to scoop up the thighs and flip them over. Return the pan to the oven and finish cooking the chicken for 20 more minutes. This will make the other side of the chicken crisp up. You could also use tongs to turn the chicken thighs, if they aren't clinging to the pan. Lay paper towels on a serving plate. Remove the baking dish from the oven and use tongs to carefully transfer the chicken thighs to the serving plate. Sprinkle the chicken with a little extra salt and ground pepper before serving. The paper towels will help to absorb any excess grease or oil.

Summary: Create a brine and trim the chicken. Chill the chicken in the brine. Preheat the oven and dry the chicken. Prepare the roasting pan. Toss the chicken with flour and seasonings. Lay the chicken in the roasting pan. Bake the chicken. Flip and finish baking the chicken. Serve the classic oven-fried chicken.


Your eyes are the windows to your soul, and for emo girls, you want them to be a focal point of your face. Use eyeliner or kohl to heavily line your eyes, almost to the point where you look like a raccoon.  To apply liquid eyeliner, start at the top of one eyelid and draw a line from one corner of the lid to the other. Try to draw your line at ½ a centimeter and allow it to air dry so it doesn’t smudge.  Draw over the liquid eyeliner with a black crayon or pencil eyeliner to make your eyes extra dark and dramatic. If you’re not allowed to wear makeup to school, don’t worry! Save it for a special event or Halloween. You can still dress like an emo girl without all the makeup. Because the eyes are such a focal point in emo makeup, the rest of your face should be left relatively untouched. Try adding pale or neutral lipgloss to make your lips pop a little. You can also add a little blush to give your cheeks a little color. Nails are a big deal for emo girls, so go crazy here. Paint them dark or bright colors or alternate between the two. If you have a little money laying around, splurge for a gel manicure so they’ll last a little longer.  Try making your fourth finger on each hand a different color than the rest. Use nail decals or stickers to attach fun images like cartoon characters or skulls to your nails. Mix and match for a cool combination.

Summary: Enhance your eyes. Leave the rest of your face neutral. Have fun with your nails.


Now that you've put all of your items in their place, you should have a bare floor. Take the time to clean it to give your room that polished feel. You won't feel organized if your room doesn't feel clean.  Put on some music or invite a friend over to help you clean to make the process more enjoyable. If you have a hardwood floor, wash or sweep it. If you have a carpeted floor, it's time to vacuum. Take a wet cloth and run it over your desk, the top of your dresser, your nightstand, and any additional items in your room. Get rid of all of the dust that you've ignored while your room was too messy. Make a goal of wiping the surfaces in your room at least once a week. You don't want all the hard work you put into cleaning and organizing your room to go to waste. If you go back to your messy habits in just one week, you can undo so much of the effort that you've put in. Here's how to make sure you maintain a clean and organized room in the future:  Be determined to spend at least 5 to 10 minutes every night organizing your room before you go to bed. Now that you've organized the last of your things, you should vow to keep them in their places. Be determined to clean your room for at least 5 to 10 minutes every day. This includes taking out the trash, getting rid of any food, and removing any old papers, ticket stubs, or random things that have accumulated in your space.

Summary: Clean your floor. Wipe down all of the surfaces in your room. Make a game plan to stay organized and clean.


Lay parchment paper across the baking sheet or dish. Shake and drip dry. Note that if you feel the seeds are clean enough, you may skip this step (although, see Tips below for a suggestion about reducing phytic acid). Place in the oven. They're ready when they've uniformly turned a light brown.
Summary: Preheat the oven to 170ºC/340ºF. Rinse the sesame seeds in a fine colander. Arrange the seeds across the baking sheet. Bake for about 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.