Q: Try using leftovers from dinner in your bento boxes, and keep frozen foods on hand to quickly defrost in a pinch. You can also cook large batches of rice and use it throughout the week, and pre-slice enough fresh fruit and veggies to fill up a week’s worth of bento boxes to make packing super convenient.  If your bento box is made of heat-safe material, feel free to use food that needs to be reheated! Buying packaged foods that are already sliced or portioned can also make things easier. Bento boxes are big on presentation, so choose complementary colors and interesting textures for visual impact. Try to choose flavors that work well together. Keep the edges neatly defined and don’t let clashing flavors mingle (e.g., don't put fried rice next to a pastry).  For example, citrus flavors pair well with leafy greens. Strawberries and cream cheese are very complementary. Balsamic vinegar pairs wonderfully with root vegetables. Don’t forget to add spices when you’re packing it up to give the food a little more kick.
A: Pre-cook and pre-slice foods for easy assembly. Aim for a variety of different flavors and textures.

Q: Your nails can heal themselves if they get damaged, but it will take a few days. To give them time to heal, do not apply any nail polish or other press-on nails for at least a few days. Try using a few drops of cuticle oil to give your nails a natural shine while you let them heal. Your nails may be brittle after you remove the press-on nails, so cutting your nails short may help to prevent them from breaking or chipping. Use a nail clipper to trim your nails down so that they are somewhat short. You can also use a nail file to smooth out jagged edges if your nails are already short.
A: Go polish and press-on free for a few days. Cut your nails short to prevent breakage.

Q: To keep the flavor strong, grind only when you're about to brew. The finer you grind the coffee, the faster the flavor extraction, since the water comes into contact with more surface area. If your coffee is too weak for your tastes, grind to a slightly finer consistency next time.  If you make the grind too fine, you'll extract overpowering bitter flavors. Typically, a medium grind (beach sand consistency) works well for drip brewing, and a coarse grind (kosher salt) is best for a French press or other long extraction method.  The finer the grind, the more likely you are to end up with grounds at the bottom of your cup. You can swirl these in, sip at the end for a strong kick, or just leave the last few drops. A typical strong cup of coffee uses 1 unit of coffee for 16 units of water, measured by weight. For a single serving, this means 11 grams (0.38 ounces) coffee for 180 mL water (6 fluid ounces or ¾ cup). If this is still too weak, you can increase the amount of coffee next time.  As a rough measurement, use a 30 mL (2 tbsp) scoop of coffee grounds for 180 mL (6 ounces) water. Volume measurements are less accurate, so you may not get a consistent strength each time. The extreme fringe of strong coffee fans uses a ratio of 2.5 to 6, but most people will find this much too overpowering and caffeinated.  1 milliliter of water weighs 1 gram, so you can measure the water with a metric measuring cup without changing the math. Hotter water extracts flavors more quickly. Most brewing methods assume you are using water between 195º and 205ºF (91–96ºC). An infrared thermometer is the best way to check water temperature, but you can get away with trial and error. Water cools quickly in most kettles, reaching perfect temperature within 10–30 seconds after boiling.  Do not raise temperature about 205ºF (96ºC), or you will burn the coffee and lose flavor. If you're more than 4,000 feet (1200 meters) above sea level, pour the water as soon as it boils. There's a sweet spot where most of the flavor has dissolved into the water, but the unpleasant flavor compounds are still locked in the grounds. This can take a little experimentation to find. Aim for 2–4 minutes of contact if using a French press, and 5 minutes if using a pour over (drip) system. Lengthening this will lead to a stronger flavor, but it's easy to overshoot and end up flat and bitter. For more detail, read our articles on French press, pour over coffee, or coffee makers. Coffee loses flavor fast, especially at high temperatures. To keep it tasting strong instead of flat, drink right after brewing. If you need to keep it longer, hold it in an insulated container at 185ºF (85ºC). If you're using a coffee maker or a pour over method, make sure the water falls in an even stream and wets all grounds evenly. In any system, you can try mixing the grounds so there are no hard-packed areas that disrupt water flow. If none of these tips solve your problem, try a different brewing method. Here are a few options for the strong coffee lover:   The AeroPress makes coffee on the strong side, as a French press does, but is much faster to use.  Turkish coffee is made with fine grounds left in the cup, making the strongest coffee you can have short of espresso.  Cold brew coffee creates a strong cup without some of the unpleasant flavors from over-extraction. This can take 24 hours.
A: Grind fresh and fine. Increase the coffee to water ratio. Raise water temperature. Brew for the right length of time. Drink right away. Check your system for even extraction. Try a specialized brewing method.

Q: Make sure to peel and cut your fruit into pieces that your blender can manage. Your fruit can be frozen or fresh depending on your preference. Some healthy fruits that you can use include, banana, watermelon, mango, and peaches. Agave nectar is a healthier alternative to sugar and will help enhance the taste of your Slurpee. If you can't get Agave nectar, you can use lemonade or more sparkling water as an alternative. If you like your Slurpee sweeter, then add more agave nectar. Blend all of the ingredients together until your drink reaches the desired consistency. Mixing the Slushee for a longer period will result in your slushy being more watery than the traditional Slurpee found at stores. Drink the Slurpee as soon as you're finished blending, or the ice will melt, and it will lose its consistency.
A:
Add fruit and water into your blender. Add agave nectar or lemonade and ice to your blender. Turn your blender on high until your drink is slushy.