pasta – The Fourth Edition | The Hoya’s Blog

It is time to step up your game (your kitchen game, that is). The microwave is no longer the cool kid on the block and it’s time to invest in some unbelievable gadgets that will let you eat like the queen that you are.

1. Pineapple Slicer

Pineapples are definitely the cheapest and most underrated fruits of the century. Unfortunately, with the excessive amount of time you need to actually carve one, it is no wonder why college students don’t eat more pineapples. But, this awesome slicer literally takes all of the difficulties out of getting to the meat of the fruit. Next time when you’re checking out that one friend’s travel post, you can feel a little more tropical by feeding yourself some spiraled pineapple slices.

2. I Could Eat a Horse

Unless you’re a mathematician or a magician, I don’t see how you can possibly estimate how much pasta to make. I always make too little and end up eating snacks because boiling water twice is too much hassle. Well, take the math away and use this measurer which bases the amount on whether you’re hungry enough to eat a horse or not. The answer is always yes.

3. Giant Vegetable Pencil Sharpener

You are straight up lying if you tell me you don’t want one of these to ease the laborious activity of actually peeling vegetables. Plus, you can make decorative shavings to add onto your own salads and skip the overpriced ones at Sweetgreen.

4. One Click Butter Dispenser

I love butter. I can eat a tube in three days. As a self-proclaimed butter lover, it is really a big pain when you have to cut slices for yourself and the wrapping is already greasy from the last time you used it. It’s also hard to resist the urge to eat the whole tube. Why not use this dispenser and take the hassle away from buttering up your life?

5. Cinnibird Pen

We’ve all seen the cheesy latte art photos on Instagram and rolled our eyes at it, secretly wondering how we can gain this amazing skill. Well, wonder no more. The Cinnibird allows you to use cinnamon and other spices to draw on your lattes. No more $20 cushy coffees just for the photo op.

Sources: giphy.com, amazon.com, brit.co, oliarts.com, pcrichard.com

Scary newsflash. Classes are winding down in the next few weeks, and that can only mean one thing: finals (and a lot of ice cream and late-night Epi runs). In case you’re already feeling overwhelmed by this impending doom, 4E is rolling out the ultimate study guides to help you prepare for your finals. If you’re trying to do bene on that Italian exam, read up to see whether or not you’re ready:

Section 1: Listening Comprehension

Nothing is more intimidating than having to listen to babbling in a foreign language at what seems an incomprehensible speed, whether you think you have an idea of what he/she is saying or not. The best way to practice for this section is to listen to an authentic Italian speaker and try to write down what you hear them saying. Try it out:

Answer Key: “Babba-da-boopy” (translation: unknown)

Section 2: Vocabulary

How can you learn all of the vocabulary at the last minute? You can’t! Instead, your best hope is to learn the basics:

“Il Pesto” (Translation: the pesto)

“Gli Spaghetti” (Translation: the spaghetti)

“La Pizza” (Translation: the pizza)

See: it’s really simple! If you need more help than that, try reading a menu at an Italian restaurant (note: they tend to have an abundance of mistakes). If all else fails, just add an “o” or an “a” to the English word and you’re probably halfway right.

Section 3: Speaking

The key to being an effective Italian speaker is remembering that all communication is done with your hands. Know American Sign Language like the back of your hand? You’re already prepared to ace this section!

Section 4: Identify as “Italian” or “Not Italian”

This section tends to be pretty tough, so get some practice below: