Friday 5 🖐️: Favorite New Pasta, 32 Inexpensive Recipes & High-Quality for Less
It's my birthday! 🎉 I have a new (unexpected) recipe, great finds, and a reminder that quality doesn’t have to cost a fortune, for food or your clothes...
It’s Memorial Day weekend and my birthday 🎉, so this week’s Friday 5 is full of comfort food (a new pasta you MUST try), great finds, and a reminder that quality doesn’t have to cost a fortune.
Here’s this week’s Friday 5…
What’s Inside:
🍝 My current favorite red sauce is unexpected and FABULOUS
✅ 30+ healthy meals that are big on nutrients, low on cost
🙌 A $50 sweater that rivals my $280 one
🧖♀️ My favorite affordable Korean collagen masks
🎂 Birthday plans + a quick reminder if you're a content creator
1. Making: Caramelized Onion Bucatini
This recipe is my current go-to for red sauce. If you haven’t made it yet, it’s pure comfort in a bowl. Using tomato paste instead of whole tomatoes is unexpected but fantastic—it’s a tried-and-true “Pantry Pasta” that’s always a hit in my house.
It’s also easy to make! The technique counts here, so read the full recipe before you start.
Soft, slow-cooked onions melt into a jammy sauce, tossed with bucatini (or any pasta of your choice), Parm, and a swirl of pasta water to bring it all together.
It’s easy, affordable, and packed with flavor. I could eat it every week.
→ Get the caramelized onion pasta recipe
2. Writing: A Big List of Cheap Healthy Meals
The caramelized onion pasta got me thinking about how cheap and easy great meals can be, so over the last few weeks, I’ve been working on a running list of affordable (yet still delicious) meals.
I’ll keep adding to that list, but right now, these 30+ recipes hit that sweet spot for the following criteria:
✔️ Low cost
✔️ High nutrition
✔️ No boring or bland meals
Think: black bean burritos, chickpea salad, lentil soups, and more. This roundup has something for everyone.
(If you have a favorite recipe that hits these notes, let us know in the comments!)
→ Browse the healthy + inexpensive meal ideas
3. Wearing: The “It Girl” Sweater
The Quince sweater I shared last week was a big hit—it’s the perfect layering piece that goes with everything. I wear the navy all the time, and honestly—it holds up just as well as my Jenni Kayne Fisherman Sweater (which is absolutely fabulous but costs 5x more.)
✔️ Perfect for layering
✔️ Luxe feel, great quality
✔️ $50 vs. $200+
Pro tip: If you want that oversized Jenni Kayne look, size up. I wear a M in Jenni Kayne and would go with an L in Quince for the same vibe.
BTW, if you haven’t heard of it, Quince is a direct-to-consumer brand that cuts out the middlemen and brings us luxury goods at affordable prices.
4. Glowing: With Collagen Masks That Actually Work
I’ve tried a lot of sheet masks, and these are the ones I keep ordering.
They’re Korean beauty collagen masks that hydrate and plump your skin without feeling sticky—and you get 4 for $19 on Amazon.
Use them after washing before makeup for an extra-dewy glow, or before your night treatments for extra hydration.
5. Celebrating: Birthday Vibes!
It’s my birthday weekend, and I’m feeling so grateful to be in this spot. Every year, I’m reminded that getting older is a privilege (43 this year!)—and honestly, it just keeps getting better and better.
There’s so much pressure in our culture to stay young, but I’ve found more clarity, peace, joy, and confidence with each passing year.
This weekend I’ll be savoring another trip around the sun with good food, great company, a little celebration, and maybe a slice or two of cake (vanilla, not chocolate—I like a classic bday cake flavor).
Thank you for being here. Whether you’re 23, 43, or 73—there’s so much to look forward to! You’re never behind. You’re right on time. 💛
Cheers!
Elizabeth
P.S. For content creators & aspiring entrepreneurs: The Multiplier Method is officially open!
It’s my step-by-step system to help you stop winging your content and start building serious momentum online. If you want a plan that grows your business and your confidence, don’t wait—doors close May 28.
→ Get The Multiplier Method here
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Happy Birthday! Your Raspberry Vegan “Cheese”cake is one of my personal favorite birthday cakes❤️
HAPPY BIRTHDAY 🎂🎂💕💕🍰🧁