INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Every day or every other day, text, instant message, or call your gal pal, based on your schedule. If you only have a few minutes to spare, shoot her a text. If you have lots of time to kill, give her a call. The important thing is that you chat and catch up! This way, you can get to know each other better and become closer friends.  Ask her how her day’s going, what’s new, and what’s going on with her crush, for instance. Send her a funny picture or interesting article you think she will like. If you are very busy and can't chat every day, that’s okay. Simply talk to your friend as often as you can. Reach out to your friend whether she lives in your town, a few hours away, or across the country. Distance doesn’t matter when it comes to being a good friend! If your friend lives nearby, try to hang out several times a week or a few times a month. If your friend lives far away, maybe you can only see them a few times a year. Either way, by hanging out face-to-face, you get to enjoy spending time together. Hang out at home, grab a coffee, go shopping, or see a live concert, for instance.  You can also invite your friend to go with you to your friend’s birthday party or the high school football game. If your friend lives nearby, grab dinner, have a slumber party, or head to the mall. If your friend lives further away, make it a point to see each other at least once a year if you can. Try to get together around the holidays or on a birthday, for example. Your friendship may seem unbalanced if you are the one who always tells your friend how to fix or improve her life. Rather than jumping into a solution, wait for her to ask you your thoughts instead. This keeps the dialogue balanced, so you can both support each other when needed. For example, if your friend says, “I have a date lined up with Jeremy on Friday but I’m really nervous. What should I do?” say something like, “Just be yourself! You know he likes you.” Try not to take it personally if your friend is busy or if your friend hangs out with other people. While you may be very close, she may have other things in her life taking up her time, such as school, work, hobbies, sports, and after-school activities.  If you don't give your friend enough space to herself, she may think you are very clingy. For example, if your friend has a big test coming up and is too busy to go to a party with you, that's okay. It doesn't mean she doesn't like you. In addition, try not to get jealous if your friend hangs out with other people. If you have a generally negative attitude and constantly put your friend down, she won't want to spend time with you. Instead, keep a positive, encouraging attitude as best as you can. Act light-hearted, positive, and fun with her.  For example, say something like, “Wow I can’t wait for this week to be over,” rather than “This week sucked!” If you are negative, harsh, or critical, your friend may take it the wrong way and feel unsupported and isolated rather than encouraged and cared for. Everyone makes mistakes, so try not to hold grudges or resentment if your friend does something to upset or offend you. Talk about the situation when it happens, accept your friend’s apology, and let the situation go. If you don't forgive your friend, you may feel negative toward them down the line, and this may affect your friendship in subtle ways.  For example, if your friend bailed on your plans and hurt your feelings, say something like, “I am hurt that you didn’t show up to our movie night last week.” If you are really upset about something your friend did, it's okay if it seems hard to forgive them. Talking about the situation will make you feel better, and you can find out why your friend did what she did. Acknowledge when you hurt your friend or acted inappropriately. When this happens, simply apologize rather than being defensive or directing the blame elsewhere. If your friend calls you out or tells you how she feels, put yourself in her shoes and say “sorry.” This keeps your conversations honest and prevents any hard feelings from forming.  For example, if your friend is upset that you canceled your plans without notice, apologize genuinely and explain that it is nothing personal. If you can’t admit when you are wrong, your friend may not trust you or think you are genuine. Keep in mind that a good friendship is a two-way street, and you should both be working together to come up with solutions when needed, such as making weekend plans or resolving an argument. This way, you can both have fun together without any regrets! For instance, when you are making plans, ask your friend what she wants to do or if there is anything she doesn't want to do. Perhaps she wants to stay home and watch movies rather than going out.

SUMMARY: Reach out to your friends daily to check on them and see what's up. Make plans at least once a week to spend quality time together. Give advice only when your friend asks for your opinion. Understand that your friend has a life outside of your friendship. Avoid being negative, harsh, or critical to your friend. Forgive your friend if she makes a mistake. Apologize to your friend if and when you are in the wrong. Compromise with your friend to make both of you happy.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: The best skillets for cooking a steak on the stove are cast iron skillets, which get very hot, distribute the heat evenly, and create an even crust on the meat. If you don't have a cast iron skillet, use the skillet or pan with the thickest bottom that you have. Olive oil has a low smoke point, and will smoke very quickly and taste somewhat bitter. You want an oil that will get hotter without smoking too much. Grapeseed, gram, or canola are all ideal. Some people like to add a little butter to the skillet as well, for an added nutty flavor. You can add it at the beginning, or wait until you flip the steak. Don't crowd the skillet with too many steaks, or the temperature will lower in the pan and the steaks will cook unevenly. Steaks don't take long to cook, so take your time and do them one at a time.  When the skillet it hot, lay in the seasoned steak, dropping it into the skillet away from you to avoid splatter. If the skillet isn't hot and the meat doesn't sizzle, take the meat out and wait. Putting a piece of steak into a cold pan will make a tough steak. Put the meat in the skillet and leave it alone for about five minutes. Let it caramelize on that side. You don't need to prod at it, check on it, or do anything. Just let the meat cook.  Don't push on the steak or press it into the skillet. There's no need to do this. Cook thinner steaks for no more than four minutes and thicker steaks for up to six, depending on how done you like your steak. Flip the steak to the other side when it's ready. If you have them, tongs are great for cooking a steak, because you don't have to pierce the meat. Forks are also fine, though some people prefer not to pierce the meat before slicing it. It's not a huge deal, either way, and some people swear by either method. If you like a steak on the rare side, it should be done with a few minutes on each side, and 10-15 minutes of resting while covered. But if your steaks are very thick, or you like them a little more done, the best way to cook them is by finishing them in the oven. Spoon extra butter over the steak and plate in the center of the oven at 275 degrees F. Finish it for 5-10 minutes, until the temperature shows where you want it on the thermometer, or it feels the firmness you're looking for.

SUMMARY:
Use a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Use a high-heat oil to coat the skillet. Cook one steak at a time. Cook 4-6 minutes on each side. Flip the steak with tongs or a fork. Lower the heat and finish the steak, if necessary.