Friday 5 šļø: Spanish Rice, Summer Wellness & a Beauty Question for You
Simple, fresh, and in-seasonāhereās whatās on my radar this week
Hi hi!
Summer is here, which means you might need some recipes to feed a crowd. Iāve got you covered here, plus Iām sharing a quick āFreezer PSAā and the sandals of summer.
Also, if you have a moment, Iād be grateful if you could click on the poll at the end, it will help me make a big decision thatās been on my mind for a while. :)
Hereās this weekās Friday 5ā¦
Whatās Inside:
š A flavor-packed rice recipe perfect for feeding a crowd
š An easy pasta salad thatās loaded with veggies and flavor
āļø Why food doesnāt actually last that long in the freezer
š” The one pair of flats Iām wearing all summer
š A quick poll: Are you into beauty + skincare recs?
1. Making: Spanish Rice (with a Flavor Upgrade)
Summer usually brings about gatherings, which means you need great recipes to feed a crowd. This delicious Spanish Rice (aka Sofrito Rice or Mexican Rice) is one of my favorite ways to bulk up a meal with extra nutrition and flavor.
A sofrito base made from chopped onion, garlic, and a poblano pepper takes plain rice to a whole new level. (Leave the cilantro out if you donāt like it!) :)
Itās also perfect for meal prepājust add a protein, and youāre set for the week.
ā Get the full Spanish Rice recipe
2. Also Making: Easy Greek Pasta Salad
This easy Greek Pasta Salad is one of our summertime staples. Itās light, crisp, and packed with fresh Mediterranean flavors.
Greek Pasta Salad is also perfect for summer gatherings, summer dinners on the patio or even meal prep throughout the week. This recipe is quick to make, naturally vegetarian, and can easily be made gluten-free with a simple pasta swap.
3. Debunking a Freezer Myth: Food Doesnāt Last as Long as You Think in the Freezer
I receive many blog comments asking about freezing recipes, so I want to share this quick PSA here: freezing something doesnāt make it last forever.
In fact, the more fresh ingredients something has (think banana bread, soups, or gluten-free baked goods), the shorter its freezer life.
A few quick tips:
Use real freezer bags, not standard storage bags. Thereās a difference between sandwich and snack bags (they are thinner and allow a little air circulation) and freezer bags, which are thicker and keep more air out. If you freeze food in thin sandwich bags, it will go bad quickly.
Remove all the air to prevent freezer burn (hence, the freezer bags)
Label and date everything
Use frozen items within 2ā3 months for best quality. Stocks and meats that have been prepared for freezing (in the right packaging) can last 8-12 months. But most prepared food have about 3 months tops.
Iām working on a full blog post with all the detailsāstay tuned!
4. Wearing: The Perfect Summer Flats
If you want an upgrade from rubber flip-flops or old sandals that have seen better days, these are the flats of summer.
Theyāre neutral and comfortable, and go with everything from linen pants to denim shorts to maxi dresses.
They have that minimalist, elevated look that just works. I have the black ones and the tan ones.
5. A Quick Poll for You: Are You Into Beauty + Skincare?
With a high-traffic website like mine, skincare and beauty companies send me new products to try every week. (Lol Iām always telling my husband itās gifted, not bought!)
I get to test all the latest in beautyāserums, creams, sunscreens, masks, clean makeup, treatments, you name it. All the new and good stuff.
Would you be into a regular sub-thread on this newsletter sharing whatās worth it in beauty (and whatās not)? It would be a sub-thread that you can opt in or out of, and I can usually ask companies for discount codes for you, too.
Itās absolutely gorgeous in Seattle this weekend, Iāll be spending as much time in the sun as possible, and I hope you do, too.
Happy last Friday of May!
Elizabeth
P.S. This one was so popular last week that Iām going to add it here in case you missed it:
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, Iāve been working on a running list of affordable (yet still delicious) meals.
Iāll keep adding to that list, but right now, these 30+ recipes hit that sweet spot for the following criteria:
āļø Low cost
āļø High nutrition
āļø 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!)
ā Browse the healthy + inexpensive meal ideas
š Whatās The Friday 5?
The Friday 5 is your weekly roundup of smart, practical findsāfrom healthy recipes to wellness tips to the little things that actually make a difference.
Join 65,000+ readers who get:
š½ļø Easy, crowd-favorite recipes (mostly healthy, always delicious)
š„ Cooking tips that make healthy eating simpler
š„° Curated product recs that are actually worth it
š Books, tools, and ideas Iād tell a friend or my sisters about
š© Your favorite Friday emailāzero fluff, just the good stuff
Forward to a friend whoād love it, too.
Want to sponsor the Friday 5? Have a great tip or something you think I should share? Just hit reply. For everything else, you can find me here.