INPUT ARTICLE: Article: It is important to avoid an unhealthy relationship, but you might be in a healthy relationship and not even know it. Some characteristics of a healthy relationship include: Mutual respect Trust Honesty The ability to compromise Being able to have your own identity Communicating effectively Managing your anger Working together to solve problems Having a healthy sexual relationship Your desire to be around your boyfriend a lot might come from some unresolved needs or issues you have, such as codependency. Codependency is unhealthy clinginess on behalf of a member of the relationship who is not self-sufficient. Tell your boyfriend what you need from him and let him tell you what he needs, too.  For instance, maybe you want to be with him a lot because he’s cheated on you in the past.  Tell him that you need him to be faithful and honest with you. In return, he might ask that you trust him and be forgiving. To assess how your relationship is going, do regular check-ins.  Ask him, and yourself, some questions like, “Are you happy?” and “What do we need to work on?” If you’re both consistently unhappy, it might be time to move on. Speak up for yourself when you feel wronged! If your guy is doing something that hurts or bothers you, let him know that it’s not okay. For instance, you might say, “Dave, I saw that you’ve been liking bikini pics of your ex on Instagram.  That really bothers me and I feel disrespected.  I’m going to ask that you not do anything like that again.” Just as you need your space, so does your boyfriend.  When his friends call wanting to shoot hoops or go out, tell your guy to go! The more fun he has, the happier he’ll be and you’ll benefit from that. At the end of the day, you are so much more than your boyfriend's partner.  You’re a friend, worker, student, sibling, and beautiful human being.  No matter what happens with your boyfriend, you’ll still be you!  Hold onto that!

SUMMARY: Identify what makes a relationship healthy. Communicate your needs. Check-in with your boyfriend every few weeks. Communicate your boundaries. Encourage him to hang with his friends. Remember that your relationship is just one part of your life.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Be careful when transferring hot ingredients. Heat the pan on medium high heat. Cook for two minutes. Salt the mixture to taste. Reduce heat to low and cook for five minutes. Remove from heat immediately after. Sprinkle with crushed coriander seeds. Serve with rice, naan or rotis.

SUMMARY: Puree the masala in a food processor or food mill. Wipe the cooking pan clean. Add the rest of the butter and the pureed mixture. Toss in the paneer. Pour in the water. Mix in your kasoori methi. Pour in the cream.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Expect warm meat to make a bigger mess when you’re grinding it. Make clean-up easier by keeping both the meat and the grinder’s parts well chilled before use. If you need to grind the same meat multiple times: Fill a large bowl with ice. Place a second bowl inside the first and grind your meat into that. Repeat as needed to keep the meat relatively chilled between each grind. Expect any sinew in your meat to dull your grinder’s blade over time. Carefully cut this away with a knife or cleaver before feeding the meat into your grinder. Ensure a better grind (and thus less mess to clean up inside). Remember: a dull blade will create a bigger mess inside. If your machine seems to be consistently smearing meat around instead of grinding it into small pieces, sharpen the blade or replace it with a new one. However: As long you keep your grinder well maintained and avoid feeding sinew into it, the blade should get sharper and sharper the more you use it. At most, you should only need to sharpen or replace it annually, if that.

SUMMARY: Keep parts and meat cold. Slice off sinew before grinding. Sharpen or replace blades as needed.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Use your phone’s settings to help you avoid contact with your ex. For example, you can change your ex’s name in your address book to “DO NOT ANSWER” to remind you what you must do. Some phones or services will also allow you to block a particular number entirely. If you must talk to your ex, keep the communication brief but friendly. Never flirt, however tempting it may seem. If you start to repeat old arguments or bad patterns, end the conversation immediately: say, “I’m sorry, this conversation isn’t going well. I need to end it.” Working together closely in class, being assigned to the same project, or getting put at the same work table could derail your effort to avoid your ex. You may need to ask others at school or work for help to avoid these situations. For example, you might explain to a teacher that you would prefer not to do a group project with your ex. Or, you could ask your guidance counselor for help in arranging your schedule so that you are not in class with your ex. If you don’t run into your ex, you won’t accidentally start speaking with him. And you won’t see him flirting with someone else, either.  If you are in school together, use your knowledge of his schedule to avoid crossing paths in the hallway or by the lockers. Avoid visiting his workplace. For example, if he works for a café, get your hot drinks somewhere else now. Don’t go to his favorite hangouts or to his events. If your ex plays basketball, don’t go to those games. If he always took you bowling, don’t go bowling for a while. Don’t keep socializing with your ex just because you have mutual friends.  Respect that your friends might want to remain friends with both of you. While it can be tempting to try to convince everyone to side with you, it’s not healthy. It may be helpful to talk through different scenarios with your friends. For example, you might say: “I don’t feel comfortable continuing our movie nights as a small group right now. But, if you throw a big party, it’s ok to invite both of us.” Recognize that your needs will change over time. Keep your friends up to date: if it’s ok to invite you both to a dinner party now, say so. Leave his friends to him. Just as you need the support of your friends and family as you navigate the break-up, so does your ex. Let your ex rely on his own network of friends and family.

SUMMARY:
Don’t call or text. Keep any contact short and sweet. Ask teachers, bosses, or coworkers for help in limiting your exposure to your ex. Plan your schedule to avoid awkward encounters. Keep in contact with mutual friends, but make your boundaries clear.