Combine 2 cups (450 ml) of flour and ½ tsp (2 ml) of salt in a medium mixing bowl to make a classic pasta dough at home. Use a fork to whisk the ingredients together. Use your fork to push the dry ingredients to the side of the bowl to create a well or a hole. The hole will nest the eggs until you are ready to mix the ingredients. Keeping the ingredients in the mixing bowl will allow for easier clean-up. If you prefer, pour the dry ingredients onto the counter and create the well. Crack each egg along the side of the mixing bowl. Drop each into the well. Begin to whisk the eggs with your fork. Gradually pull the dry ingredients into the well to incorporate it into the mixture. The mixture will be thin at first, but it will thicken and begin to look like dough as you incorporate more of the dry ingredients. Once it begins to look like a soft dough, you have incorporated enough flour. You may not use all of the flour that is in the bowl. Gently place the dough and any leftover flour onto a clean surface. The leftover flour will help prevent the dough from sticking to the counter. Begin to knead the dough by folding it in on itself. Lift one side of the dough and fold it toward the opposite side. After each fold, flatten the dough and repeat. This process will help toughen up the dough.  Sprinkle extra flour on the counter if the dough begins to stick to the surface. Continue to knead the dough if you notice air bubbles. If you see several, slice the dough with a knife and combine the sections by folding them together. When the dough is ready, the surface will be smooth. It will resemble a plastic ball. Stop kneading the dough at this time. Once the dough is ready, grab a clean mixing bowl and place the dough inside. Cover the top of the bowl with plastic wrap or a dinner plate. Allow it to rest for 30 minutes. After it has rested, you can use the dough right away or you can refrigerate it for 24 hours. Allow the dough to come back to room temperature before forming the pasta.

Summary: Mix the dry ingredients. Create a hole or well in the dry ingredients. Add three large eggs. Whisk the eggs with a fork. Place the dough on a clean counter. Fold the dough. Look for a smooth surface. Place the dough in a clean bowl to rest.


Losing weight is not always healthy, and in fact can be quite harmful if you are already at a healthy weight or rely on inadvisable methods.  Talking to a doctor or registered dietitian before embarking on a program is the best way to set the proper goals and methods for your healthy weight loss.   Peer pressure and body image issues can make school-age young people particularly susceptible to the mistaken belief that they need to lose weight.  If you are healthy just the way you are, focus only on maintaining that health and increasing your self-esteem and confidence. If you do need to lose weight, don’t focus on a set number, or trying to look just like some famous person or popular schoolmate.  Instead, establish with a professional what your healthy weight range should be and how best to reach it. You may want to believe that there is some miracle fix that will let you shed five pounds in the week before school starts; however, any fad diet that promises such results is either a lie or detrimental to your health.  Also, even if they do work temporarily, quick-fix diets don’t produce lasting results. Aiming to lose 1, and possibly at most 2 pounds per week is considered healthy for most people.  Consult your doctor or dietitian. If you really want to lose weight before the new school year starts, your best option is to begin the process as soon as the prior school year ends.  The tortoise and the hare weren’t concerned with shedding pounds, but “slow and steady” is definitely the way to win this race.  If you want to lose weight and keep it off then you need to make lasting changes to your lifestyle, including how you eat, how you think about food, and how active you are in your daily life.  This takes time, as it requires you to recondition your brain and body. Weight loss works best when it is not a solo endeavor.  Everyone needs a boost, an encouraging word, or a kick in the pants from time to time to succeed.  Getting family, friends, and trusted advisors involved is your best option.  It can be tough to stick with a salad with canned tuna on top when your brothers are inhaling a pizza from your favorite shop.  Ask for some understanding as you try to change your habits, or better yet, see if you can get the rest of your family on board. It always helps to have someone you trust as a sounding board for those times when your cravings are getting the better of you or your confidence is low.  If an organized weight loss program provides the support you need, by all means utilize one. You can be part of your own support network by keeping a food diary.  Keeping track of what you eat, how much you eat, and why you eat, along with your lifestyle changes, exercise activities, and overall feelings, can help keep you self-motivated.

Summary: Consult an expert. Be realistic. Give yourself time. Rely on a support network.


When working with strong chemicals and solutions you want to make sure that your body is protected from harm. Wearing a lab coat, close-toed shoes, eye protection, and gloves are essentials when handling these compounds.  Wear a lab coat that is made of an inflammable material. Eye protection should have side shields to protect from splashes across the face. When mixing solutions together, volatile gases can be formed and escape into the air. Some chemicals can only be handled in a chemical fume hood found in a laboratory. If working at home, open windows and have a fan blowing to make sure the air circulates. When diluting strong acids, always add the acid to the water. When water and acid mix, the reaction is exothermic (releases heat) and can be explosive if the water is added to the acid instead of the other way around. Refresh your memory with the proper safety precautions every time you work with acids.

Summary: Wear proper personal protective equipment (PPE). Work in a ventilated area. Add acid to water.


Answer the first call as you normally would answer the phone. As the next person calls, the person will pop up on your phone. Just accept the call and then press 5 to add the person to the call. Repeat the process of adding the next caller by answering the phone and pressing 5 until you've added everyone to the call.
Summary: Have the participants call your Google Voice number. Answer the first call. Add the next caller to the call. Continue adding callers until everyone is in the conference call.