Keema is a dish that no chicken lover can get enough of. Minced chicken cooked with chillies, onions, and spices – it’s simple yet incredibly delicious. When paired with hot pavs or crispy parathas, nothing can beat that combination. As a keema lover, you’ve probably tried regular chicken keema many times, and no doubt, it tastes amazing. But imagine adding even more deliciousness to this already heavenly dish. Meet Chicken Malai Keema – a unique chicken keema recipe that elevates its flavour to the next level. This recipe was shared by Chef Natasha Gandhi on her Instagram handle. Also Read:Craving A One-Pot Dish? Learn How To Make Chicken Keema Matar
What Makes Chicken Malai Keema A Must-Try Dish?
Chicken malai keema is a dish that no keema lover should miss. It’s rich, creamy, and packed with flavour. As soon as you take the first bite, you’re sure to become an instant fan. Moreover, it’s incredibly easy to prepare, so you don’t need to worry about your cooking skills. All you need are a few basic ingredients and 20-25 minutes of your time.
How To Ensure Chicken Malai Keema Turns Out Creamy?
What sets this dish apart from regular keema is its creaminess. To achieve this, ensure you add plenty of cheese while cooking. While this recipe uses processed cheese, you can also opt for mozzarella. Try to get your hands on fresh cheese for that perfect creamy texture. The more cheese you add, the better your chicken malai keema will turn out.
How To Make Chicken Malai Keema At Home | Chicken Malai Keema Recipe
In a bowl, combine the chicken keema, yoghurt, cream, ginger-garlic-chilli paste, black pepper powder, chilli flakes, and lemon juice. Mix well.
Next, heat ghee in a large kadhai and add peppercorns, bay leaf, slit green chillies, and green cardamom. Saute for a few seconds.
Now, add the chicken keema mixture to the kadhai and cook until the keema is thoroughly cooked.
Once the keema is 90% cooked, add the birista (fried onions), fresh mint leaves, and lots of processed cheese.
Smoke the mixture, then garnish with more birista, mint leaves, fried raisins, and green chillies.
Enjoy your creamy chicken malai keema with crispy parathas!
Also Read: 5 Tried-And-Tested Tips To Make Perfect Green Keema At Home
Watch the full recipe video for chicken malai keema here:
Are you already slurping? Don’t delay – try making this delicious dish over the weekend and impress your family with your culinary skills.
About Vaishali KapilaVaishali finds comfort in eating parathas and rajma chawal but is equally enthusiastic about exploring different cuisines. When she’s not eating or baking, you can often find her curled up on the couch watching her favourite TV show – FRIENDS.
At about 6am every day Ken Saywood wakes up to the sound of planes taking off metres from his house.
He does not reside under a flight path in inner Sydney or Brisbane — he’s living in a regional Queensland airpark.
“We wanted to come somewhere where we could have our aeroplane close to a runway and this was the ideal spot,” Mr Saywood said.
His two-storey home is among dozens that are just metres from Whitsunday Airport’s 1.4-kilometre runway.
“Sometimes it gets quite noisy here in the mornings when we’ve got lots of scenic flights departing,” Mr Saywood said.
It’s premium economy all the way for Denise Saywood in seats from a Qantas aircraft. (ABC Tropical North: Liam O’Connell)
The noise is offset by the convenience of his own hangar adjacent to the house with easy access to his pride and joy — a 1980s seaplane that was designed to carry tourists across the 74 Whitsunday islands.
“[These seaplanes] were the vital link to the islands, and for the tourists, carting freight, and now helicopters [have] taken over,” Mr Saywood said.
“It’s still a perfectly serviceable aeroplane — they can be maintained virtually forever, these light aircraft.”
He said his home – a one-minute car ride away from the runway – was “the perfect place for people who’ve got aircraft, who love aviation and who want to fly easily”.
Just metres from the runway, airpark residents have built-in luxuries like swimming pools. (ABC Tropical North: Liam O’Connell)
A community built on flying
Whitsunday Airport manager Lee Holloway first heard of the airpark concept while visiting the Avalon International Airshow west of Melbourne.
“I saw this amazing little stand that had homes on a runway and I know it’s pretty popular in the [United] States, but nothing had been done like that [around the Whitsundays],” Ms Holloway said.
“We’re just very lucky that we’ve got the reef and Whitehaven [Beach]. Literally, as soon as you depart here you see islands and it’s just stunning.”
A home at the Whitsunday Airpark, near Airlie Beach. (ABC Tropical North: Liam O’Connell)
The airpark concept — a housing estate for recreational pilots and aviation enthusiasts to house their aircraft on their doorstep — originated in the United States but there are multiple developments in Australia in Queensland, New South Wales, and Western Australia.
In Queensland’s tropical north, the airstrip, 7.5 kilometres from Airlie Beach, dates back to the 1960s, when seaplanes would transport not just tourists but vital supplies to the outlying island resorts.
The 57-block site has been slowly filling with houses for the past two decades but is still far from capacity.
The land to either side of the airstrip is divided into blocks, ranging from 1,000 and 1,400 square metres.
Some further west are reserved for shed-like hangars with in-built living quarters, while others to the east are set aside for more substantial houses.
A larger block will set you back nearly $500,000, and that’s before you consider the cost of building on an airstrip with more than 100 aircraft movements a day.
By comparison, a small aircraft can be held in a hangar at the airstrip for $22 a night, or just over $8,000 a year.
Lee Holloway says the airpark has built a community of people who love flying and seeing the Whitsundays from the air. (ABC Tropical North: Liam O’Connell)
Ms Holloway said it was a win-win situation.
“Everyone’s got a completely different background, but the one common thing they love is aviation,” she said.
“It’s fixed-wing or helicopters and they all sit and talk and then they start travelling — they do trips, they talk about the trips.”
Where hangars become a home
About 87km north of Mackay, developer and aviation enthusiast Garry Poole has been developing plans for a decade for a hybrid housing-hangar precinct at the Lakeside Airstrip.
Garry Poole in his home, with his bird “Geraldine”. (ABC Tropical North: Liam O’Connell)
“We had warbirds in there, we’ve got Tiger Moths, a lot of ultralight aircraft, general aviation aircraft,” he said.
“[At Christmas], we get all the locals out, take the school kids up for a fly around, bring them down, and show them what happens.”
Mr Poole purchased the rural land near the Bloomsbury airstrip in 1981 to store his aircraft.
He said aviation was a lifelong passion.
“Some people like playing golf, some people like swimming, some people like horse-riding. Some people like flying aeroplanes. Simple as that,” Mr Poole said.
In the last 10 years, however, plans to expand the strip into a hybrid housing-hanger precinct have developed.
Mr Poole’s vision for the homes included a view of the lake and a 1.1km airstrip.
Garry Poole says aviation enthusiasts are being drawn to the region in increasing numbers by its beauty. (ABC Tropical North: Liam O’Connell)
“I tell people, ‘If you can’t land in 1.1km, give it away,’” he said.
The nearly 30-lot development has seen significant interest: out of 10 blocks in the current stage, eight have been sold, ahead of an official opening later this month.
‘I always wanted to fly’
At Shute Harbour, Ken Saywood said he and his wife, Denise, have found a place where they can indulge their love of flying as often as they can, while they can.
“I started very young. I grew up on a dairy farm in Tasmania, but I always wanted to fly aeroplanes, right from when I was tiny,” he said.
“I have a limited amount of time left when I’ll have a pilot licence, I’m getting much older than I was.
“Nonetheless, we will probably stay here for quite some time, until we’re unable to live here comfortably,” he said.
At about 6am every day Ken Saywood wakes up to the sound of planes taking off metres from his house.
He does not reside under a flight path in inner Sydney or Brisbane — he’s living in a regional Queensland airpark.
“We wanted to come somewhere where we could have our aeroplane close to a runway and this was the ideal spot,” Mr Saywood said.
His two-storey home is among dozens that are just metres from Whitsunday Airport’s 1.4-kilometre runway.
“Sometimes it gets quite noisy here in the mornings when we’ve got lots of scenic flights departing,” Mr Saywood said.
It’s premium economy all the way for Denise Saywood in seats from a Qantas aircraft. (ABC Tropical North: Liam O’Connell)
The noise is offset by the convenience of his own hangar adjacent to the house with easy access to his pride and joy — a 1980s seaplane that was designed to carry tourists across the 74 Whitsunday islands.
“[These seaplanes] were the vital link to the islands, and for the tourists, carting freight, and now helicopters [have] taken over,” Mr Saywood said.
“It’s still a perfectly serviceable aeroplane — they can be maintained virtually forever, these light aircraft.”
He said his home – a one-minute car ride away from the runway – was “the perfect place for people who’ve got aircraft, who love aviation and who want to fly easily”.
Just metres from the runway, airpark residents have built-in luxuries like swimming pools. (ABC Tropical North: Liam O’Connell)
A community built on flying
Whitsunday Airport manager Lee Holloway first heard of the airpark concept while visiting the Avalon International Airshow west of Melbourne.
“I saw this amazing little stand that had homes on a runway and I know it’s pretty popular in the [United] States, but nothing had been done like that [around the Whitsundays],” Ms Holloway said.
“We’re just very lucky that we’ve got the reef and Whitehaven [Beach]. Literally, as soon as you depart here you see islands and it’s just stunning.”
A home at the Whitsunday Airpark, near Airlie Beach. (ABC Tropical North: Liam O’Connell)
The airpark concept — a housing estate for recreational pilots and aviation enthusiasts to house their aircraft on their doorstep — originated in the United States but there are multiple developments in Australia in Queensland, New South Wales, and Western Australia.
In Queensland’s tropical north, the airstrip, 7.5 kilometres from Airlie Beach, dates back to the 1960s, when seaplanes would transport not just tourists but vital supplies to the outlying island resorts.
The 57-block site has been slowly filling with houses for the past two decades but is still far from capacity.
The land to either side of the airstrip is divided into blocks, ranging from 1,000 and 1,400 square metres.
Some further west are reserved for shed-like hangars with in-built living quarters, while others to the east are set aside for more substantial houses.
A larger block will set you back nearly $500,000, and that’s before you consider the cost of building on an airstrip with more than 100 aircraft movements a day.
By comparison, a small aircraft can be held in a hangar at the airstrip for $22 a night, or just over $8,000 a year.
Lee Holloway says the airpark has built a community of people who love flying and seeing the Whitsundays from the air. (ABC Tropical North: Liam O’Connell)
Ms Holloway said it was a win-win situation.
“Everyone’s got a completely different background, but the one common thing they love is aviation,” she said.
“It’s fixed-wing or helicopters and they all sit and talk and then they start travelling — they do trips, they talk about the trips.”
Where hangars become a home
About 87km north of Mackay, developer and aviation enthusiast Garry Poole has been developing plans for a decade for a hybrid housing-hangar precinct at the Lakeside Airstrip.
Garry Poole in his home, with his bird “Geraldine”. (ABC Tropical North: Liam O’Connell)
“We had warbirds in there, we’ve got Tiger Moths, a lot of ultralight aircraft, general aviation aircraft,” he said.
“[At Christmas], we get all the locals out, take the school kids up for a fly around, bring them down, and show them what happens.”
Mr Poole purchased the rural land near the Bloomsbury airstrip in 1981 to store his aircraft.
He said aviation was a lifelong passion.
“Some people like playing golf, some people like swimming, some people like horse-riding. Some people like flying aeroplanes. Simple as that,” Mr Poole said.
In the last 10 years, however, plans to expand the strip into a hybrid housing-hanger precinct have developed.
Mr Poole’s vision for the homes included a view of the lake and a 1.1km airstrip.
Garry Poole says aviation enthusiasts are being drawn to the region in increasing numbers by its beauty. (ABC Tropical North: Liam O’Connell)
“I tell people, ‘If you can’t land in 1.1km, give it away,’” he said.
The nearly 30-lot development has seen significant interest: out of 10 blocks in the current stage, eight have been sold, ahead of an official opening later this month.
‘I always wanted to fly’
At Shute Harbour, Ken Saywood said he and his wife, Denise, have found a place where they can indulge their love of flying as often as they can, while they can.
“I started very young. I grew up on a dairy farm in Tasmania, but I always wanted to fly aeroplanes, right from when I was tiny,” he said.
“I have a limited amount of time left when I’ll have a pilot licence, I’m getting much older than I was.
“Nonetheless, we will probably stay here for quite some time, until we’re unable to live here comfortably,” he said.
Pizza, a beloved dish enjoyed by people of all ages, is often associated with unhealthy ingredients like refined flour and excessive cheese. However, with a few tweaks, you can transform this classic dish into a healthier and more nutritious option. Enter the No-Maida Pizza Paratha, a delicious and convenient snack that’s perfect for kids’ lunchboxes. We found this recipe on the Instagram page ‘neelamscookingdiaries’ and found it perfect for all the parents struggling to make their kids finish their lunch in school.
Also Read: 5 Quick And Healthy Lunch Box Ideas For Kids
What is a Pizza Paratha?
A pizza paratha is a fusion dish that combines the best of two worlds: Indian flatbread and Italian pizza. It’s a simple yet flavorful dish that’s perfect for a quick and easy meal.
The Difference Between Pizza and Paratha
While both pizza and paratha are flatbreads, they have distinct characteristics. Pizza, typically made with wheat flour, yeast, and water, is topped with tomato sauce, cheese, and various toppings. Paratha, on the other hand, is an unleavened flatbread made with whole wheat flour and water. It’s often served with butter or ghee and can be filled with various ingredients.
Also Read: 15 Best Indian Lunch Recipes | Easy Indian Lunch Recipes
How To Make Pizza Paratha I No-Maida Pizza Paratha Recipe
Saute the mixed vegetables in a pan until they are soft.
Spread the pizza sauce evenly on one side of the roti. Top it with the sauteed vegetables and shredded cheese.
Place the other roti on top and press the edges with a fork to seal the filling.
Heat a griddle or tawa and cook the paratha on both sides until it is golden brown and crispy.
Cut the paratha into triangular slices and pack it neatly in the lunch box.
Tips for making the perfect Pizza Paratha:
Use Fresh Ingredients: Use fresh vegetables and high-quality cheese for the best flavour.
Don’t Overcrowd the Paratha: Avoid overloading the paratha with too much filling, as it may become difficult to seal and cook.
Grill to Perfection: Grill the paratha on medium heat to ensure even cooking and a crispy texture.
Experiment with Fillings: You can customize the paratha filling to your liking. Try adding different vegetables, herbs, or spices to create unique flavours.
With its combination of flavour, convenience, and nutritional value, the no-maida pizza paratha is a fantastic option for a healthy and delicious pizza meal.
About Neha GroverLove for reading roused her writing instincts. Neha is guilty of having a deep-set fixation with anything caffeinated. When she is not pouring out her nest of thoughts onto the screen, you can see her reading while sipping on coffee.
Penn State students filled Heritage Hall with excitement and anticipation as acclaimed actor Giancarlo Esposito took the stage Friday evening.
The event was organized by the Penn State Student Programming Association (SPA), which has been known for bringing influential speakers and entertainers to campus. SPA’s efforts allowed students to hear directly from Esposito, whose career and life experiences have inspired millions.
From the moment he entered, Esposito energized the room by leading a “We Are” chant that united the audience with Penn State pride.
The Student Programming Association hosts actor Giancarlo Esposito for a conversation with moderator Haley Jacobs at Heritage Hall in the HUB-Robeson Center on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024 in University Park, Pa.
Geraldine Cruz
Esposito, known for his unforgettable role as Gustavo “Gus” Fring in “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul” as well as his roles in “The Mandalorian” and “The Boys,” has become one of Hollywood’s most respected talents.
Esposito began the lecture by recalling stories from his life and career. With roots in Broadway, where he began performing as a child, Esposito’s journey has been shaped by the challenges and triumphs of navigating the entertainment industry as a Black and Italian man. This unique background, he explained, profoundly influenced his approach to acting.
Reflecting on his upbringing and early career, Esposito stressed the importance of staying true to oneself, urging students to “love and trust yourself.”
He added, “If you love what you do, you never work a day in your life.” His words resonated with students, many of whom came to the lecture not only as fans of his work but also as aspiring professionals seeking guidance on their own careers.
Among the attendees was Otávio Pinheiro, who was dressed in costume for the event. Pinheiro has a deep admiration for Esposito’s role in “The Mandalorian.”
“I’m a big ‘Mandalorian’ fan – I bought a costume before he even announced he was here, so when I saw the notification, I had to go,” Pinheiro, a fourth-year studying neuroscience, said.
For Pinheiro and many others, Esposito’s presence on campus was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear from a beloved actor who has moved countless viewers.
Brendan Santore spoke about Esposito’s impact on him through his portrayal of Gus Fring in “Breaking Bad. “
“‘Breaking Bad’ was the first thing I watched that had him in it, and he was such an impressive actor. He conveyed his presence there, and I wanted to come out to see what he had to say today,” Santore, a second-year studying aerospace engineering, said.
Lily Weber, who has a background in musical theater, was equally inspired by Esposito’s talk.
Weber, a first-year, said she came out to see Esposito because he’s in “Breaking Bad,” and was interested in learning about his experiences on Broadway and acting on camera.
“I didn’t know too much about him, but I was inspired by a lot of the things he had to say tonight. I learned a lot, and it was a really good experience – I’m glad I came,” Weber said.
Moderator Haley Jacobs speaks to actor Giancarlo Esposito during the Student Programming Association moderated conversation event at Heritage Hall in the HUB-Robeson Center on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024 in University Park, Pa.
Geraldine Cruz
Esposito delved into his process for character preparation, describing the rigorous research he undertakes to bring each role to life.
For him, embodying Gus Fring was a “monumental experience” that required meticulous attention to detail. He explained how he sought to avoid stereotypes by portraying Gus as a fully multifaceted character.
He also discussed the importance of imagination and courage in his craft. He encourages students to find their own voices and pursue their dreams with conviction.
Esposito’s words left a lasting impression on his audience. He moved them to approach life and work with passion and authenticity.
For Penn State students, the night was more than a lecture – it was a call to embrace their own identities and strive for excellence. His visit left the audience inspired and entertained, but it was his final moments that truly captivated the room.
Just before leaving, he flashed a mischievous grin and slipped into character as Gus, delivering the infamous line from Breaking Bad: “I will kill your wife. I will kill your son. I will kill your infant daughter,” sending a wave of laughter and applause through the crowd.
MORE LIFESTYLE CONTENT
Opulence Drag Ambassadors hosted its “Reaper’s Rave” at 3 Dots Downtown to celebrate Hallowe…
If you’re interested in submitting a Letter to the Editor, click here.
Boman Irani recently took to Instagram to share a special post for his wife Zenobia Irani, who celebrates her birthday on October 23. To accompany a carousel of photos, he penned a long, heartfelt caption filled with candid musings and wishes for his spouse. He mentioned how his wife has “ghar ka khanna” taste buds, which makes it difficult for them to find spots for eating out that she would like. In the post, Boman Irani hinted at their shared love for chai too. He explained that, while travelling out of the country, his wife’s pet peeve is being rather disappointed with specific tea offerings. She often tends to feel that drinks that are labelled chai abroad don’t actually deserve to be called that. He finds himself in agreement with her on this point.
Boman Irani’s note also includes several other glimpses into their life together. He has lovingly described her habits and complimented her personality. Here’s the complete caption: “It is impossible to find a restaurant to please your “Ghar Ka Khana” tastebuds. Impossible. You always repeat instructions a minimum of 84 times. Like, “Check the passport, or let’s leave 4 hours early for the airport, or let’s go to the gate, 2 hours before the gate opens. When you see a dog… you snap your finger and instruct me to take a photograph like I’m on your payroll. When I’m abroad, you wake me up in the middle of the night to ask if I’ve taken my medication. Then wonder why I’m sounding sleepy. When in town you give me my medication yourself, and 5 minutes later you ask if you’ve given me my medication. You hate to speak in public but somehow love to speak (a lot) in private. When abroad, your pet peeve phrase is, “How dare they call this CHAI??” (This, I agree, actually.). I wouldn’t mind being on your staff; that’s where one gets treated the best. I love to grumble about you like this. Because saying nice things is somehow boring. But today I am going to say just one nice thing. Why not… I have yet to find a person who has a single bad thing to say about you. Said it. Only because it’s your birthday. Happy birthday, Zen!”
Before this, Boman Irani had posted about his experience dining at Chef Vikas Khanna’s New York restaurant. He posted a reel that captured Chef Khanna’s hospitality and the lip-smacking dishes served during the meal. Boman said that it was an “unforgettable celebration”. Click here to read the full story.
Also Read:Jenna Fischer Had “The Meal Of A Lifetime” At Chef Vikas Khanna’s New York Restaurant
Jessica Arevalo is hitting the gym in her two-piece workout gear. In a new social media pos the fitness model flaunts her amazing body in a sports bra and leggings during a rigorous sweat session. “DO THING’S THAT YOU DON’T WANT TO DO & ACT LIKE YOU LOVE IT!” she captioned the Instagram video. How does she approach diet, fitness, and self-care? Here is everything you need to know about her lifestyle habits.
Jessica discussed her workout method with Simply Shredded, revealing “The Arnold Way,” is her to-to. “The way my dad taught me, it’s the basics but I’ve done it consistently for 2 years and I’m always progressing. I feel all these fancy ways are too complicated. I like to go in there, lift heavy and isolate each muscle group!” she said. She works out five days a week, taking rest days on Thursday and Saturday.
When trying to cut down she prefers normal cardio over HIIT, “but for my bikini athletes and weight loss clients I do switch it up to both kinds of cardio as they both do work,” she says. “Cardio varies if I’m in comp prep or not. In prep I do 5 days of 20 minute cardio sessions and off-season I do no cardio at all to make maximum size gains.”
Jessica revealed her three favorite exercises to Simply Shredded.
Lunges: “I love lunges because they are the best for keeping those glutes in shape!” she says.
Pull Ups: “Because I love to measure my strength that way and it makes me feel very strong when I can pull my own weight multiple times,” she added.
Plyometrics: “I love plyos because it’s a great full body workout,” she revealed.
Meal 1: ½ cup Oats, Fruit & 6 Egg Whites
Meal 2: 6 oz. Red Meat, 4 oz. Yams, ½ cup of Vegetables
Meal 3: NLA Her Whey Protein, 1 Banana & 1 scoop of Cashew Butter
Meal 4: 6 oz. Chicken or Fish, ½ cup of Brown Rice, ½ cup of Vegetables (Asparagus/Broccoli)
Meal 5: 5 oz. Chicken & 4 oz. Yams
Meal 6: 6 Egg Whites or NLA Her Whey Protein
In a September 15 post Jessica revealed she was 3 months sober. “When I started this journey I never knew it would bring me here 3 months later. So grateful for the strength God has given me everyday on this journey. I often get asked if I will ever drink again and the honest answer is I dont know. I dont plan on it but I take it day by day.🙏🏼I don’t miss the black out nights, hangovers & drama that can come with drinking. I feel so much happier, clear minded and 100% myself sober. Looking forward to this sober journey and all it has to offer!” she wrote.
Jessica Arevalo is hitting the gym in her two-piece workout gear. In a new social media pos the fitness model flaunts her amazing body in a sports bra and leggings during a rigorous sweat session. “DO THING’S THAT YOU DON’T WANT TO DO & ACT LIKE YOU LOVE IT!” she captioned the Instagram video. How does she approach diet, fitness, and self-care? Here is everything you need to know about her lifestyle habits.
Jessica discussed her workout method with Simply Shredded, revealing “The Arnold Way,” is her to-to. “The way my dad taught me, it’s the basics but I’ve done it consistently for 2 years and I’m always progressing. I feel all these fancy ways are too complicated. I like to go in there, lift heavy and isolate each muscle group!” she said. She works out five days a week, taking rest days on Thursday and Saturday.
When trying to cut down she prefers normal cardio over HIIT, “but for my bikini athletes and weight loss clients I do switch it up to both kinds of cardio as they both do work,” she says. “Cardio varies if I’m in comp prep or not. In prep I do 5 days of 20 minute cardio sessions and off-season I do no cardio at all to make maximum size gains.”
Jessica revealed her three favorite exercises to Simply Shredded.
Lunges: “I love lunges because they are the best for keeping those glutes in shape!” she says.
Pull Ups: “Because I love to measure my strength that way and it makes me feel very strong when I can pull my own weight multiple times,” she added.
Plyometrics: “I love plyos because it’s a great full body workout,” she revealed.
Meal 1: ½ cup Oats, Fruit & 6 Egg Whites
Meal 2: 6 oz. Red Meat, 4 oz. Yams, ½ cup of Vegetables
Meal 3: NLA Her Whey Protein, 1 Banana & 1 scoop of Cashew Butter
Meal 4: 6 oz. Chicken or Fish, ½ cup of Brown Rice, ½ cup of Vegetables (Asparagus/Broccoli)
Meal 5: 5 oz. Chicken & 4 oz. Yams
Meal 6: 6 Egg Whites or NLA Her Whey Protein
In a September 15 post Jessica revealed she was 3 months sober. “When I started this journey I never knew it would bring me here 3 months later. So grateful for the strength God has given me everyday on this journey. I often get asked if I will ever drink again and the honest answer is I dont know. I dont plan on it but I take it day by day.🙏🏼I don’t miss the black out nights, hangovers & drama that can come with drinking. I feel so much happier, clear minded and 100% myself sober. Looking forward to this sober journey and all it has to offer!” she wrote.
It took less than six months for Mike to get down on one knee – well, kind of.
“Actually, he didn’t get down on one knee – it was raining,” laughs Riley.
The two had spoken about the possibility of marriage early in their relationship, but Riley, believing it was “too soon”, had waved off the suggestion.
That was, however, until the couple embarked on a two-week cruise of the Mediterranean.
“I was starting to kick myself, thinking this would be the perfect opportunity,” she laughs.
“Burano is a little island off the coast of Venice, and it’s so pretty with all these pastel-painted houses and the little bridges over canals. It’s actually very close to Verona, which is where Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet was set.
“I studied Shakespeare at university … the guide had mentioned that, and I thought, ‘Oh, that’s really, really cool’. And then when we were on the bridge, Mike turned to me and he quoted the Dire Straits’ song Romeo and Juliet,” she recalls.
“There’s a line from that song that says, ‘You and me, babe, how about it?’ And that’s what he said. And then he said, ‘Will you marry me?’ I hesitated for all of about 0.1 second,” she chuckles.
As Riley notes, it isn’t her first rodeo – nor is it for Mike. Both have children from previous relationships; Riley is mother to Lucy and Zoe, and grandmother to Lucy’s young daughter Kaia. Mike has three children; Ella, who is in her early 20s, and teens Matthew and Peter.
“When you get to our ages – you know, I’m 56, he’s 55 – when you know, you know. And we both knew,” Riley says.
“When he turned to me, it was unexpected in one way – but it wasn’t in another.”
Both sets of children have been supportive of the engagement, Riley says, a smile in her voice.
“Goodness knows what they’re saying behind our back,” she jokes.
“We had a big family dinner to announce it to everybody.
“They all seem absolutely thrilled. My youngest [Zoe] was surprised, but she assures me she’s very, very pleased. She’s already starting to plan the wedding, which won’t be for a little while – but she’s very keen on doing that.”
Riley’s parents are also thrilled at the news, she says, recalling her father’s response: “We’re not surprised, we could see it.”
“I’ve been through so much lately that, you know, I think if I can have happiness, I should grab it with both hands – but to have [her children] endorse that is just the icing on the cake,” she says.
Aside from her family and friends, Riley had another set of people to tell: her loyal Coast FM listeners.
She announced her and Mike’s engagement on air on Monday, and has been overwhelmed by the flood of supportive messages from her listenership.
“Everybody is saying such amazing things,” she gushes.
“The funny thing is, all of Mike’s friends are saying, ‘She’s a lucky woman’, and all of my friends are saying, ‘He’s a lucky man’ – and it’s true.
“We both consider ourselves lucky.”
One might think what it means to be in love fluctuates as you age: perhaps priorities shift, emotions abate, and the flames of passion dampen. But for Riley, the warm-and-fuzzy feelings of young love have not changed – if anything, she says, love is better in your 50s.
“I genuinely think it’s just as exciting but I also believe it’s slightly better, in a way, because I think you know yourself better,” she muses.
“All those problems we both had with earlier relationships around communication, trust, all those sorts of things – you get to a stage where you just think, ‘Take me as I am’. I don’t want to pretend to be anything other than who I am. I don’t want to change for anybody.
“To find someone who perfectly fits you in that moment, it feels even better than that lovely exhilaration of falling in love. The ‘honeymoon period’ as it were, we all know that that doesn’t last.
“What you need underneath is that friendship, that respect, that trust, that loyalty, that communication – those are all the things that I can see are there already, and all the things I was looking for … [you need] to look at the person underneath when you get to our ages.
“We are in this for keeps.”
At the end of the day, she laughs, she and Mike “don’t want to go on those dating apps ever again”.
“I don’t know what people are thinking,” she says, recalling the horror stories she experienced from her time on the likes of Hinge and Bumble. Unsolicited pictures of men’s appendages, for example, were “a bit of a surprise and a bit horrific”.
“They don’t get better looking with age,” she laughs. “Nobody wants to see them anyway but, you know, they don’t even take good angles!”
Coast FM host Lorna Riley used dating apps post-divorce – and met her partner, Mike, on Hinge. Photo / Supplied
Riley and Mike are now looking forward to the future. They have several trips planned, including a holiday to Riley’s “favourite place in the world”, Rarotonga, following her double mastectomy surgery next February.
“That’s something I should have probably had done before. I did want to give my body a chance to heal from everything else that had been through, but my oncologist said, ‘Look, you’ve had breast cancer twice. You’ve got the BRCA2 gene – it’s the sensible thing to do’,” Riley says.
“But it’s pretty hard when you go through any kind of treatment – particularly my chemo, my radiation, my surgery – on your own, not having somebody there to be by your side.”
Now, Mike is there “100%”, Riley says.
“His mum and his sister both had breast cancer, so he understands quite a lot about it,” she explains.
“He is thoroughly behind my decision to have this operation in February, and I know it’s going to be an easier ride knowing that my person is there alongside me.
“The whole thing about ‘losing your femininity’ – it’s part of your identity, your breasts – and having them gone, how is it going to affect me emotionally? [Mike’s] just reassuring me constantly that, you know, I am more than just my breasts,” she chuckles.
Also planned for next year is a trip to Western Australia with their youngest children to visit Ella, Mike’s eldest. In the meantime, she and Mike are planning plenty of travel around Aotearoa.
“We’re going to Wellington for a gig, we’re going to Queenstown for a gig,” Riley enthuses. “We like the same things. We like concerts, we like getting out and about.”
She’s also hoping to return to the United Kingdom towards the end of next year – a country she hasn’t been to since she and her family immigrated to New Zealand when she was just six years old.
“[It’s] where I’m from, but I’ve never been back since … so I really need to fix that.”
Lana Andelane is an entertainment and lifestyle journalist who joined the Herald in 2024. She was previously lifestyle editor at Newshub, where she began her career as a news producer in 2019. She enjoys writing about music, pop culture, fashion and beauty.
The “improper, consensual” relationship that ended Pat Hobbs’ nine years as Rutgers’ athletic director featured a nearly $1 million contract and a rather awkward “love” comment.
Hobbs shockingly resigned as the Scarlet Knights’ athletic director in August citing health concerns, but Rutgers had been investigating a relationship between Hobbs and gymnastics coach Umme Salim-Beasley that the two did not make much of an effort to conceal, according to NJ Advance Media.
“It was an open secret,” one former employee told the outlet.
Former Rutgers athletic director Pat Hobbs. APRutgers gymnastics coach Umme Salim-Beasley. AP
The athletic director reportedly spent more time around the gymnastics program than is usually allotted at major Division I programs, traveling at least five times to the same location as Salim-Beasley during an 11-month period beginning last summer, per NJ Advance Media’s report.
Both Hobbs and Salim-Beasley are married with children, with the coach tying the knot with former Jets cornerback Aaron Beasley.
One particular interaction between the two stood out to those who witnessed the scene.
Pat Hobbs during a 2022 press conference. Amy Newman-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK
Hobbs participated in a tarot card reading during a social event for the athletic department last winter and was asked about the most important thing in life, as two gymnasts recalled to the outlet.
The former athletic director looked at Salim-Beasley and said “love.”
“It was so weird,” one gymnast told the publication. “It’s really hard to put into words, but they were staring each other in the eye, sitting right next to each other. You could feel some type of tension between them. All my teammates looked at each other with the weirdest look like, ‘What is going on here?’”
Hobbs and Salim-Beasley seemingly did not take discrete measures to hide their relationship, with Hobbs being described as a “fixture at the team’s practice and meets.”
Umme Salim-Beasley was hired by Rutgers in 2018. AP
He attended the team’s Fish MLK Jr. Invitational in January of this year, and the two laughed after passing a heart-shaped sign that read, “Love You, Pat,” per the report.
“We were like, ‘That’s really weird,’” one gymnast told the outlet.
Rutgers’ discrimination and harassment policy states that romantic relationships involving supervisors — Hobbs was Salim-Beasley’s boss — present “special problems” and declares that the university “strongly discourages romantic, dating, intimate and/or sexual relationships between University employees where there is an imbalance of power because one individual is in a position to make decisions which may affect the educational opportunities, employment or career of the other.”
Hobbs re-hired Greg Schiano as Rutgers’ football coach. for the NY POST
Hobbs had the power to make decisions that affected the coach’s career, with her first three contracts stating that “year-to-year increases in base salary shall be paid solely upon a determination by the Director of Athletics,” according to NJ Advance Media.
Salim-Beasley’s contract boosted from $95,000 in her first season in 2019 to $165,000 this season and will reach $195,000 in the last year of her contract in 2028, per the report.
She signed a five-year, $995,000 deal on Feb. 24, 2023, and is tied for the third-highest salary in the conference this year excluding Penn State, according to the publication.
Meanwhile, Mike Rowe, the coach of Big Ten champion Michigan State, has a 2024 salary of just $141,500, the outlet reported.
Salim-Beasley’s Rutgers biography touts record-breaking performances during her tenure, but the team is 4-50 in Big Ten dual meets over the last six years and just 55-100 overall.
The program’s 2-43 Big Ten record over the last five years is the university’s lowest among any sports team in that span, according to the report.
Making matters worse is that Rutgers launched an investigation into the program in September due to allegations of bullying, favoritism and revenge, per the Associated Press.
A pair of gymnasts wondered about whether Hobbs handled their complaints with the proper respect in light of the relationship coming to the surface.
Pat Hobbs was hired as Rutgers’ athletic director. in 2015. Noah K. Murray-NY Post
“The first thing I said to him was: ‘I need you to set any personal relationship you have with Umme aside and listen to me as your student-athlete,’” one gymnast told the outlet. “He goes ‘What are you talking about? Personal relationship? That’s not true.’ If you’re getting defensive, that makes it seem true.”
Another said: “At first, he said that he did not have a personal relationship with Umme, but then he said that he had a personal relationship with all the head coaches. So which one is it, buddy?”
Umme Salim-Beasley in an April 2024 Instagram post. Instagram
Hobbs had actually been pitching Rutgers on a raise from his roughly $1.1 million annual salary in June when former Rutgers Board of Governors chairman Mark Angelson informed the 64-year-old of the investigation and that the university would not upping his salary, per the report.
Two months later, Hobbs officially received notification from a firm about a pending investigation and the need to turn over his electronic devices.
Hobbs then resigned on Aug. 16, citing health concerns.
“After meeting with my cardiac team this week and having just been apprised of the results of my latest round of testing, it is clear that I can not continue to serve as Athletic Director given the requirements of the position,” Hobbs told school president Jonathan Holloway in an email. “I recognize this is not the ideal timeframe to depart, however other factors need to take precedence.”
