And bonny, where is she getting the Adderall? Because that really should not be used without supervision, is my understanding... Then again, my experience with it is my ex-bf talking about how much he hated how it made him feel.

She's connected to someone with adhd, is my understanding. That person hates it, my friend loves it.

Huh - challah in English isn't a word that generally takes a plural form. If I were going to talk about more than one, I'd probably say "[x] loaves of challah." (The same way I wouldn't say "2 whole wheats" but "2 loaves of whole wheat bread.")

US challah probably does taste different than Israeli because I imagine our eggs and butter taste different.

Well, Adderall is mixed amphetamine salts (essentially, amphetamines, yes). The reason it works in patients with ADHD/ADD -- and by "works," I mean that it helps them concentrate and doesn't make them all wired and speeding their brains out -- is because their brains are, basically, wired to need extra stimulation. The amphetamines gives their brains the extra stimulation, which makes them able to concentrate, since their brains are then not constantly seeking out more stimulation.

Non-ADD brains, on the other hand, don't need that extra stimulation, and so amphetamines act like you'd expect them to -- you get all wired and speed your brains out.

Is it possible your friend has ADD, bonny?

The weight loss is a side effect of the side effect of greatly reduced appetite. It is a common side effect of ADD meds. In fact, one of the usual ADD meds started out its life as a weight loss drug. I thought it was Adderal, but I'm not certain. Back when I was trying to find a med that would help my ADD, I tried several, only to find that with each of them, they quit being effective after about a month and a half. One of the meds the doctor prescribed was phentermine - the appetite suppressant - he gave it to me off-label, and it did help with the attention issues. My doc insisted on getting an EKG on a regular basis to ensure that I was not sustaining any damage to my heart. I'm not sure that is a standard practice for psychiatrists who deal with ADD or AD/HD, but this was my GP.

US challah probably does taste different than Israeli because I imagine our eggs and butter taste different.

Well, challah doesn't have butter. The challah I remember having in Israel tasted pretty much the same as the challah in the US, but that was all served to US trip groups, so who knows what kind it was.

So, I'm going to Passover Wednesday night. Anything I should know beforehand?

So, I'm going to Passover Wednesday night. Anything I should know beforehand?

Depending on how strictly they follow the seder, it might be a while before you get to food. Eat beforehand.

Um. Depending on the family, you might be asked to read something. There's a book called a Haggaddah that's read aloud, and usually it's done by going around the table and each person reads a paragraph or two. Some people skip over non=Jewish guests for the reading, but others don't.

Oh, fabulously helpful, Hil! Thank you!

Oh! And if it's somewhere that you'd generally bring a hostess gift, bring flowers, not food or wine. Figuring out who will and won't eat what on Passover is way too confusing unless you know both the person and the rules really well.