Some hints for the temperature logger:

You could start up the baord by plugging it in, or by connecting a button.

Try reading at short (300 ms?) intervals for now, so that the program only runs for a short time (since you may need to debug and re-program it several times)

You could have it blink an LED when it's done reading.

It could wait to send the temperature data to the computer until it receives some text over the serial line (so you would plug it into the computer, type "GO" or something like that, and then it would start transmitting data).

It would be nice if the numbers it sent to the computer were actual temperatures. (in ^oF or ^oC).