Latest news with #RachaelRay
Chicago Tribune
22-05-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Great gifts for college grads
It's college graduation season, and that means it's time to come up with gift ideas for the college grad you want to congratulate on a job well done. So much hard work goes into achieving that diploma, so it's only natural to want to acknowledge this major milestone with a gift. When it comes to rewarding their hard work, you can go with something that's practical, meaningful or even a little fancy. While a recent survey shows cash is the top gift among the over $6 billion spent each year on graduation gifts, some people prefer to give something their new grad can unwrap. That's why we've gathered some ideas to help you come up with the perfect gift for the new grad in your life. Samsonite Omni PC Hardside Expandable Luggage Nothing says embarking on a new life journey like a good piece of luggage, and this expandable 28-inch suitcase with spinner wheels is the perfect choice. It comes in several colors and has a 10-year warranty, so your grad can travel with confidence. Beats Studio Buds A reliable and high-quality pair of earbuds can be invaluable for a newly minted grad. They can drown out unwanted sounds with the noise-canceling feature to help them focus on their new job or in grad school. They provide up to eight hours of listening time on a single charge, making them super convenient. Productivity Store Daily Planner Some young adults may prefer to keep their daily schedule digital, but there is something about paper and pen that has timeless appeal. Show a new grad that the old-school way of keeping track of important events still works with this planner that includes space for daily to-do lists along with monthly calendars. Bentgo Classic All-In-One Stackable Lunch Box A new grad on a budget will surely appreciate a good lunch box to help them tote food to the office (and avoid spending their monthly budget on expensive meals out). This bento-style lunch box is stackable and dishwasher-safe, making it a convenient option. Rachael Ray Cucina Nonstick Cookware Pots and Pans Set A college grad moving into their first 'adult' apartment will definitely need a decent set of cookware to get their kitchen properly outfitted. This set is nonstick and includes frying pans, sauce pans and a stock pot along with lids and utensils. Nespresso VertuoPlus Coffee and Espresso Machine If there's one thing most adults of any age need, it's a dependable coffee pot. This one is countertop-size to save space and can make coffee or espresso. It can make four different sizes of coffee and is compatible with Nespresso pods. Black + Decker Home Tool Kit Every adult just starting out in life needs a solid tool kit to tackle minor household repairs. This set features 66 different hand tools, including a cordless drill, a hammer, screwdrivers and more. Canon EOS Rebel T7 DSLR Camera Because some events call for more than a phone camera, set up the new grad in your life with a reliable and high-quality digital camera. This one has built-in Wi-Fi and features 24.1 megapixels for clear, beautiful photos. All-new Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Reading is a wonderful hobby to keep up with long after graduation, and this Kindle Paperwhite will help encourage a college grad to spend time with their nose in a book. The device can last 12 weeks on a single charge and helps make reading comfortable on the eyes and very accessible. New grads can download Kindle books from Amazon or hook up with their local library's app to read for free. BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. BestReviews and its newspaper partners may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our links. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Daily Mail
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Inside Rachael Ray's tragic journey... from her health woes to the man who 'beat' her with a GUN
Rachael Ray was once one of the most successful women on TV... but in recent months her bizarre behavior and slurred speech has left fans - and friends - immensely concerned for her. Just last weekend, she posted a video to Instagram and it seemed as though she was having a hard time getting her words right. Afterwards, a source told that the star, 56, seems 'lost' and lives a 'very secluded life,' leaving them fiercely worried. It's just the latest in a long list of devastating twists and turns to plague the TV personality, as Rachael's story has certainly not always been a glamorous one. Her childhood was riddled with health woes and incessant bullying from her peers. And when she got her first big break by landing a job in her 'dream' city, that was soon shattered when she was violently attacked on her way home from work. A man pulled her into an alley and 'beat' her 'with his gun,' leaving her so shaken she quit her job and moved back to the town she grew up in. Even so, Rachael didn't give up and she was eventually skyrocketed into the spotlight after she scored her own cooking show on The Food Network. And while she has now had a wildly successful career spanning across decades, her time in the spotlight has been marred by controversy. The former talk show host has been hit with rumors of racism, accusations of infidelity in her marriage, and constant public scrutiny that continuously cast a shadow over her booming business. Recent years haven't been easy for her either: the sudden and shocking death of her aunt in 2013 erupted a nasty feud between Rachael and her niece that tore her family apart; her house was burned to the ground by a fire in 2022; her New York City apartment was flooded just one year later; and most recently, her strange behavior has sparked a slew of speculation about her health. It's certainly been a rough road for Rachael. Amidst the latest concern for the star, FEMAIL has recapped the many devastations that she's had to overcome over the years. Take a look back at Rachael's tumultuous journey... and see how she continuously prevailed despite all of her hardships. Rachael's childhood was riddled with health woes and incessant bullying from her peers Rachael was born in Glens Falls, New York, in 1968, and her family moved to Lake George when she was eight years old. Her parents managed multiple restaurants across Cape Cod, Massachusetts, so the food industry was a big part of her life from the start. But Rachael's childhood was tragically riddled with health woes and incessant bullying from her classmates. She told People back in 2006 that she battled croup 'a lot' as a kid, which is an infection of the upper airways that causes difficulty in breathing and a barking cough. At the time, she said it was still something that affected her as it had weakened her vocal chords. 'I lose my voice a lot,' she said. 'I had a lot of croup as a kid so I don't have the strongest vocal cords. 'I went to a voice doctor [who] taught me exercises for my throat and to cut back a little on the caffeine.' She has also said that she was teased relentlessly by her classmates as a kid. Rachael revealed on Instagram in 2019 that she was made fun of on the first day of kindergarten for bringing a smelly sardine sandwich for lunch. 'I quickly learned that sardines do not make friends… at least in American kindergartens they don't,' she wrote. 'I cried. A LOT. And my Grandpa consoled me - with a cool cloth on my forehead and the reminder that life provides plenty of tears; each day has ups and downs and moments when we will feel frustrated or overtired or beat up by life. And we have a choice… to cry or to continue on. 'I went back to school the next day carrying my sack lunch and a newfound resilience.' She told ABC News in 2019 that she was also bashed over her choice of clothing. 'Everybody made fun of me because I wasn't wearing jeans, I was wearing a dress,' she said. She added to NPR, 'I came home that day being the stinky girl in the funny clothes with the funny shoes.' Rachael - whose parents divorced when she was 13 - started working in the restaurants her parents' oversaw when she was a teen. After graduating from high school, she attended Pace University for a few years but ultimately dropped out. Rachael was violently attacked during the early years of her career - a man pulled her into an alley and 'beat' her 'with his gun' Rachael was violently attacked during the early years of her career - a man pulled her into an alley and 'beat' her 'with his gun.' She's seen in 2003 In 1995, Rachael moved to New York City, where she landed a job at the candy counter in Macy's. She worked her way up until she was eventually the manager of the gourmet markets in the department store. But it wasn't easy. She was working nearly 100 hours per week while living in a dinky apartment in Queens. 'I thought I had this great life [at the time], but [looking back] I had a lousy one,' she told People. 'I worked 100 hours a week. If you're going to work that hard, it should be for something with your name on it.' But Rachael had a terrifying, life-threatening incident one night when she was on her way home from work that shook her to her core. 'This kid comes in behind me - next thing I know he shoves my face up against the door, jams a gun into my back and says, "Give me your bag,"' she recalled. 'I flipped the top off the mace my dad had given me when I moved to New York City, spun around and started screaming.' But the next night, she said he returned and attacked her again. She said of the second attack, 'The whole thing was in slow motion. He dragged me down the alley and beat the crap out of me with his gun.' So shaken from the experience, Rachael left the city and moved back to Lake George, where she grew up. She described it as the 'hardest decision she ever made' to Bloomberg, after 'dreaming' of living in New York her whole life. 'I couldn't go back to that apartment. I thought, that's it, I have to quit: I can be happy living on $35,000 a year,' she recalled of that time. 'But leaving Manhattan was the hardest decision I ever made.' She returned to upstate New York and began working at a gourmet grocery store in Albany. After seeing an advertisement for a promotion Domino's Pizza was doing that promised free pizza if their delivery took more than 30 minutes, she came up with her now famous 30-minute meals. 'I figured if people would wait 30 minutes for a mediocre pizza, they'd spend 30 minutes to make a great meal for themselves,' she explained. She then started holding 30-minute meal classes and demonstrations at local supermarkets, and that's when her career truly took off. 'I loved my job,' she gushed. 'I eventually got a story on the local news, which led to a cookbook we sold in the market.' After 'someone gave a copy of her book' to the Today show's Al Roker, she was invited to come on the show. 'I thought it was a joke,' she wrote for Bloomberg. 'I made a 30-minute meal for Al. 'The Food Network called immediately after that. We had a meeting, and they asked me to do a pilot for a 30-minute-meal show.' After becoming a star, Rachael was hit with rumors of racism, accusations of infidelity, and constant public scrutiny that cast a shadow over her booming career After a heartbreaking childhood and a rocky start to her career, Rachael finally got her big break after her appearance on the Today show. Her show, 30 Minute Meals, premiered on the Food Network in 2001 and it was a massive success, launching her into the spotlight. It ultimately went on for 11 seasons before it came to an end in 2012. Then, in 2006, her talk show Rachael Ray premiered, and that went on for a whopping 17 seasons until it concluded in 2023. She has also launched her own production company, Free Food Studios, created her own magazine, entitled Every Day with Rachael Ray, and released dozens more cookbooks over the years. Her personal life also flourished - she met future husband John Cusimano in 2001 after they attended the birthday party of a mutual friend, and they tied the knot in 2005 in Tuscany, Italy. But over the years, Rachael faced a slew of more setbacks that continuously cast a shadow over her booming career and personal life. She was hit with rumors of racism, accusations of infidelity, and constant public scrutiny. Back in 2007, TMZ release a report that claimed Rachael had made racist remarks about Oprah Winfrey years prior, which she denied. She told People afterwards, 'If people want to slam me, just slam me. I felt bad for Oprah because it attached my name to [hers]. I wrote Oprah a note and said I would never [do that].' Oprah's friend Gayle King also publicly dismissed the rumors. Speculation also arose around the same time that Rachael's husband had cheated on her, but the star denied that too. 'I've known where he is every night since we've been married,' she insisted. She also said during her show, 'John and I are happily, grotesquely, blissfully married. We have always been happy together since the day we met eight years ago.' In 2008, reports emerged that said she was battling throat cancer in secret, leaving many worried for her health. While she ultimately denied that she had the disease, she said she did have to undergo surgery to 'remove a benign cyst on her vocal cord.' Rachael found herself back in hot water again in 2013, after her 77-year-old aunt, Geraldine Dominica Scuderi, tragically died while house-sitting for her. It was said she went outside to feed the birds but got locked out in the freezing cold and had a heart attack. Geraldine's daughter later blamed Rachael for the tragedy, telling the National Enquirer, 'My mother is dead today because [the] Ray family neglected her. 'I want the world to know the truth about them and just how they treat their own family.' Rachael's representative said in a statement at the time, 'Rachael and her family were shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic and untimely passing of her aunt.' She did not attend the funeral, citing prior work commitments. Over the years, Rachael has been fiercely open about her decision to not have kids with her husband. Back in 2007, she told People that she didn't have 'time' to be a mom because she 'worked too much.' 'I feel like a bad mom to my dog some days because I'm just not here enough,' she said. 'I just feel like I would do a bad job if I actually took the time to literally give birth to a kid right now and try and juggle everything I'm doing.' But during an episode of her podcast last year, she admitted that the public's reaction to her decision has been negative. 'Boy, did I get bashed for it over the decades,' she said. In recent years her house burned down and her apartment flooded - and most recently, her slurring speech has sparked concern from fans Rachael faced more devastation in August 2020 when her home in upstate New York tragically burned down. 'Thank you to our local first responders for being kind and gracious and saving what they could of our home,' she wrote on X, formerly Twitter, at the time. 'Grateful that my mom, my husband, my dog… we're all OK. These are the days we all have to be grateful for what we have, not what we've lost.' ET reported that the fire started in the chimney and 'spread quickly,' resulting in the sprawling mansion getting completely destroyed. Rachael told the publication months later that she and her husband were staying in a guest house on the property while it was being rebuilt. 'It was just a shock when it happened,' she said. 'I mean, you can't imagine it. Our house is only 15 years old and we have our chimney cleaned twice a year. 'And literally it was just the chimney... and then the whole house literally burned down. 'I think initially we were just in shock. We listened to our first responders and we left with the clothes on our back and the flip-flops and Ugg shoes on our feet.' Just one year later, more disaster struck when her New York City apartment got flooded during Hurricane Ida. 'Tell me you would not feel like a kicked can,' she told People afterwards, adding, however, that she was trying to stay positive. 'There are so much worse positions we could be in. I mean, I'm alive. And I do have a roof over my head. And I do have a job. At the end of the day, we always come back to grateful.' Back in September, fans were left worried after she appeared to be slurring her speech during one clip In recent months, Rachael has sparked concern over her bizarre behavior in her cooking videos. Back in September, fans were left worried after she appeared to be slurring her speech during one clip. Her representative responded to the speculation by issuing a statement saying the celebrity chef had 'no comment' on the matter, via TMZ. One month later, she said that she had suffered 'a couple of bad falls in the last couple of weeks.' In an episode of her podcast I'll Sleep When I'm Dead, Rachael explained that she enjoys doing 'physical labor' around the house. But she added that she had to cut back on certain tasks because she took 'a couple of bad falls' while carrying wood. 'I'm a homemaker. I love chores. I love being in the kitchen. I always work with my brain everyday, I'm always writing something, but I really like chores,' she said. 'I like what people consider physical work. I like making dinner, planning dinners, making lists. I love physical labor, helping carry in the wood. 'I've had a couple of bad falls in the last couple of weeks, so I haven't been doing that in awhile, but I love carrying wood.' Fans were left worried again when she shared a clip to her Instagram for Mother's Day last weekend, and at times, her words sounded garbled. 'Those close to Rachael are so concerned,' an insider told afterwards. 'She has shut people out and lives a very secluded life.' 'She seems lost and when anyone reaches out to her she doesn't respond. 'Rachael was always so meticulous about her appearance, and it is very telling and concerning that she now just doesn't care. It is indicative of a bigger issue.'
Daily Mail
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Rachael Ray's friends say they're 'deeply concerned' after she posted slurred video... and reveal 'very telling' detail that betrays the bigger issue
Rachael Ray left fans deeply concerned when she shared a video on Sunday in which she appeared to be slurring her words. The cooking show host, 56, posted a clip to her Instagram for Mother's Day, paying tribute her mom and recalling how she had been 'very, very poor' before finding fame.
New York Post
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Rachael Ray sparks new health concerns in viral cooking video: ‘She looks sick'
Rachael Ray fans are worried about her health once again. The celebrity chef, 56, slurred her words in another cooking video that she shared to Instagram on Mother's Day. In the clip from Sunday, Ray stood over a stovetop and recalled how she was 'very, very poor' while living in New York as a young woman. Advertisement 9 Rachael Ray in her May 11 Instagram video. Rachael Ray/Instagram 9 Old footage of Rachael Ray and her mom. Rachael Ray/Instagram 'I didn't want to bother my mother. I didn't want her to feel scared for me. So I would never ask for money,' she said. 'And I didn't have any.' Advertisement Ray continued, 'Eventually, I did a show called '$40 a Day.' And that was my budget for a whole week. I would buy a week's food, and I only had $40. I always felt so grateful that I came from people that taught me how to buy dry beans, a few vegetables, very little protein, and to live on that for a long time. And I'm deeply grateful for it.' 9 Rachael Ray appears to slur her words in a cooking video. Rachael Ray/Instagram 'It has changed the course of my life. It has made my life what it is,' Ray added. 'And that's what I try to share in these shows as often as I can.' In the comments, fans expressed concern for Ray's wellbeing. Advertisement 'Rachael worried about you! ❤️🙏🙏🙏,' one fan wrote. 9 Fans are worried about Rachael Ray's health. Rachael Ray/Instagram 9 Rachael Ray and her mom. Rachael Ray/Instagram 'Rachael are you okay? You don't look well,' another fan said. Advertisement A third person added, 'OMG WHAT HAPPENED TO RACHAEL.' 'Girl are you okay? We don't recognize you,' a different comment read. Someone else wrote, 'she looks sick.' But other fans defended the famous homemaker. 'Let's be kind or silent. We never know what people are going through,' someone wrote. 9 Rachael Ray on her show in 2015. Rachael Ray Show Another fan said, 'Please be kind, we never know what types of health or personal struggles people have.' 'People who have nothing nice to say should shut up,' a different person wrote. Advertisement Another fan commented, 'She's having some health issues. Hopefully, people will understand and show her grace as she goes through it.' The Post has reached out to Ray's rep for comment. 9 Rachael Ray at SOBEWFF 2025 at the Grand Tasting Village in Miami Beach, Florida. WireImage Ray previously sparked concern for her slurred speech in a different cooking video last year. Advertisement In the clip from her 'Rachael Ray in Tuscany' series, she made Tony Bennett's favorite dish while recalling the time the late singer came over for dinner and slipped on her polished kitchen floor. However, fans were distracted by the way Ray was speaking. 9 Rachael Ray cooking on her talk show in 2017. 9 Rachael Ray at the 'We Feed People' New York premiere in May 2022. Getty Images for National Geographic One month later, Ray revealed on her 'I'll Sleep When I'm Dead' podcast that she recently suffered 'a couple of bad falls,' though she didn't offer more context. Advertisement During another episode of her podcast in December, Ray told guest Anne Burrell that she's 'afraid' to go on the internet and see what people are saying about her. 'Do you ever think about the way people think about you? I don't,' said Ray. 'I'm, like, afraid to, quite frankly.'
Daily Mail
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Rachael Ray draws strong reaction after posting concerning new video
Rachael Ray left her fans more concerned about her health than ever after sharing a new video over the week. The 56-year-old cooking host appeared Sunday in an Instagram clip timed to coincide with Mother's Day, but viewers were disturbed by her appearance in the post. Rachael appeared to be speaking slowly and slurring some of her words as she leaned over a stove and cooked up a meal. In the video, the celebrity chef look back on a time early in her career when she said she could get by in New York on a budget of just $40 per week. 'When I lived in New York as a very young woman, I was very, very poor,' she recalled as the video intercut with old photos of Rachael and her mother cooking together. 'I didn't want to bother my mother. I didn't want her to feel scared for me,' she continued. 'So I would never ask for money. And I didn't have any.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rachael Ray (@rachaelray)
