We've been fans of Rita Rodrigues for many years... even before she got married. Her love for cooking has made her the easiest journalist to talk to ever (for me, of course).
I hope you enjoy getting to know her better, inside and out, with lots of tips and good things!
TO BE
Zodiac sign: Leo
Season: Summer
One color: Purple
A book: The Little Prince , by Saint-Exupéry
A film: 'Great Expectations'
One song: Wicked Games, Chris Isaak
🏽A podcast: " Extremely Unpleasant "
One object: a cell phone, connected to everyone and to the world.
My favorite place in the world: there's a beach I go to every year with my husband and daughters, and we stay there for three weeks. Year after year, we come back happier than when we left. I can say that I spend all 11 months of the year waiting for those three weeks. Time stands still, there are no clocks, we only have essential routines. The air is purer, and we breathe more deeply. Everything is gentler, slower, and more beautiful.
TO CREATE
Who and what inspires you? Stories of brave and courageous people who dared to think differently or simply refused to accept conformity. And today, the media and social networks show us so many examples of such people. Their overcoming of challenges is, without a doubt, an inspiration for me to overcome them myself.
What do you still need to create? Everything. Life is a notebook full of blank pages. I still have so much to do, so many places to visit, so many things to see. My greatest creations were, without a doubt, my daughters, and watching them grow is a privilege of life. But I also want to see how I myself evolve. What challenges does the universe have in store for me and how will I face them? But I want it to be a process of enjoyment, without rushing. I don't have a 'to-do list'. I want to live each stage as I go.
How to maintain creativity: with open arms and limitless horizons, without preconceptions or prejudices, just a willingness to experiment. As we grow, we become more constrained by responsibility. We have to challenge ourselves to think outside the box to do different things and achieve results that surprise us.
TO LIVE
First thing to do when you wake up: take a deep breath, stretch, and drink some water.
How to relax at the end of the day: disconnect from work and the news and dedicate myself to my family. Listen to what my daughters have to say. Talk to my husband. Cook for everyone.
A place to switch off: my couch, where I can read, watch movies and series, or simply do nothing.
Preferred physical exercise: yoga and running.
How do you relieve stress: with a run, with yoga, with meditation?
A woman who inspires you: my mother, for the woman she has always been, for the example she has always given me of being hardworking, competent, professional, dedicated, and demanding of herself. But at the same time, an attentive mother, always present, very intuitive and supportive, who communicates more with her eyes than with words.
NOURISH
Your ideal diet is… diverse. I'm becoming more and more convinced that eating a little of everything, without depriving myself of anything, gives me more guarantees that I won't end up indulging in a bag of sweets to compensate for any deficiencies.
What you always have in the fridge: kilos of fruit because at home we all love and eat fruit all the time. And in the vegetable drawer there's always leeks, zucchini, and carrots.
A lifesaver for dinner: sautéed vegetables that go well with everything... pasta, couscous, lettuce. And if I need something more nutritious, I can always add a poached egg on top, which is effortless and gives the dish a really nice look.
Favorite drink: nothing quenches my thirst like water, nothing comforts me like coffee.
Favorite snack: a well-baked, hollowed-out bread roll.
Favorite restaurant: I can't resist a good Italian restaurant.
Favorite cookbooks: already stained with food and fingerprints, those by Mafalda Pinto Leite , obviously, with practical, economical, quick, delicious recipes, to repeat and repeat until you know them by heart.
TO CARE
Beauty icon: Julianne Moore
An essential piece of clothing: jeans.
What's always in my beauty routine: since I wear a lot of makeup every day, the most important thing for me is a good moisturizer to prepare my skin to receive all those extras, followed by meticulous makeup removal that leaves no trace of foundation, mascara, or eyeshadow. And always sunscreen.
My favorite MPL'beauty product: I can't decide between the scent of the salt and lavender scrub and the purifying effect of the detox drops .
How do you feel most beautiful? I've had my makeup done by some of the most talented Portuguese makeup artists, but the feeling after a yoga class and meditation is what makes me feel most radiant and beautiful. A glow that comes from within and radiates outwards.
