Let's Jump!: The old Guinness World Record is now dust as First Lady sets new record with more than 300,000 participants... First Lady Michelle Obama announced today that her October 11th Let's Move! attempt to set a new Guinness World Record for Most People Doing Jumping Jacks in a 24-Hour Period was literally a huuuuuuge success. (Above: Mrs. Obama and kids on the South Lawn, mid-record breaking)
"We had 300,265 people jumping that day," Mrs. Obama said in a video announcement. "This is a remarkable achievement."
"Remarkable" is not an overstatement: The old record was more than 20,000 people, and it's been left in the dust by an amazing margin. To kick off the effort to demolish the record, Mrs. Obama, Jumper in Chief, led about 400 kids in doing jumping jacks for one minute on the South Lawn. The record has now been certified by Guinness, which took close to two months to "gather evidence" from participants.
The number of people who took part speaks to the massive national support the First Lady has gotten for the Let's Move! campaign since it was formally launched in 2010. The First Lady's video announcement:
More work to do, says First Lady... But remarkable as the world record is, Mrs. Obama said there's still a long way to go in her campaign.
"This isn't just about jumping jacks and one world record," the First Lady said. "We still have a lot of work left to do to meet an even bigger goal: Ending childhood obesity within a generation so all children have a chance to grow up healthy and strong."
Earlier this month, Mrs. Obama announced that in the year ahead, the Let's Move! campaign will have a renewed focus on fitness initiatives, with new components and programs being rolled out in an effort to "redefine play" and get kids more physically active.
National Geographic Kids rounded up the participants for the Guinness World Record attempt; check out their Let's Jump! blog.
Six-year-old judge gives thumbs-down to healthy foods at Let's Move! cooking showcase... First Lady Michelle Obama's campaign to get kids to eat healthy food has a long way to go. A little boy judging a cooking battle on Tuesday night, designed to promote the Let's Move! campaign, repeatedly spit out bites of his meal, which was created by Top Chef host Tom Colicchio and 3 other James Beard Award-winning chefs. AustinJackson, the six-year-old judge from Toledo, Ohio, gave the dishes made by some of the country's best chefs the lowest possible scores as White House Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives Sam Kass, emcee for The Great American Family Dinner Challenge, made light of the situation to an audience of hundreds. (Above: Kass speaks to the audience after Austin spits out his dinner; the child's mom, Kim Mrkva, looks on)
"Let’s give it up for Kim, this boy’s mother," Kass said. "She clearly has her hands full."
The crowd of anti-obesity activists filling the ballroom in DC's Omni Shoreham hotel laughed and applauded. Kass--and the other White House chefs--have often said that kids are the toughest "customers" to please, and Austin spent his time onstage being both very displeased, and very honest. He didn't like the food, and had no qualms about getting it out of his mouth as fast as possible.
Frowny face: The worst scores... Austin spit out bites of each successive dish he was served as the audience watched on two forty-foot video monitors. The laughter grew as the acclaimed chefs reacted with mock horror when the boy circled frowning faces on his score sheet, awarding the worst scores. (Above: Kass and the other six-year-old judge, Jeshua Ferro, watch Colicchio cook)
"These are recipes that families can actually use," Kass had announced as the contest started. The recipes had been pre-vetted before the contest by two nutritionists who were introduced to the crowd. The showcase battle was the capper to the first day of a national childhood obesity summit from Partnership for a Healthier America, the non-profit that supports Mrs. Obama's campaign. She gave the keynote address on Wednesday.
Austin and his mom sat beside the other family selected to judge the contest--Antonio Ferro and Laura Castillo, and their six-year-old Jeshua Ferro--onstage at a dinner table, and were personally served by the chefs, who created their three-course dinners with just $10 of ingredients--a budget a family on Food Stamps would use. The teams had 30 minutes to work in two gleaming cooking stations.
No lover of a frisee salad with avocado and shallot dressing and glazed chicken thighs with sauteed fennel, garlic, mint, chives and parsley created by the chef-team of Boston's Ming Tsai of Blue Ginger restaurant and Holly Smith of Cafe Juanita in Kirkland, WA, Austin spit his bites into his napkin. He also unceremoniously spat out a shaved carrot and apple salad from Colicchio and teammate Maria Hines of Tilth restaurant in Seattle, as well as their orange Jell-O and buttermilk panna cotta dessert. (Above: Kass holds up a scoring sheet with smiley and frowny faces, and Austin assures him he wants the frowny faces)
Colicchio defended the dessert.
“I got two young kids at home,” he said. “I’ll stand behind the instant Jell-O and buttermilk panna cotta anyday, thank you very much.”
The boy looked dubious as Tsai presented him with a yogurt parfait with cinnamon-covered cashews on top. "It's vanilla ice cream with rock sugar," Tsai joked. (Above: Kass cheers and his mom claps as Austin gives one dish a score that wasn't the lowest possible; Tsai is at right, and the other family judges look on)
Despite comedic pleas from Kass and the chefs, Austin wanted nothing to do with the healthy dishes, though he seemed to like--or at least tolerate--a beef and broccoli dish offered by Team Colicchio. The Ferro/Castillo family, from Silver Spring, Maryland, ate their meal with no spitting action. Both families were selected as judges after winning a sweepstakes from Parents and Ser Padres magazines, co-sponsors of the event.
After Austin gave the thumbs down to his dishes, Tsai ran back to his cooking station and grabbed a huge knife and pretended he was going to stab himself, much to the audience's further amusement (above).
The chefs had used only the kind of equipment that a family might have: A toaster, a blender, a microwave, and a regular oven. At a press conference before the event, Kass and the chefs spoke of the importance of cooking healthy foods for kids, starting as early as possible to ensure children will develop a lifelong love affair with vegetables.
"Throw enough garlic and scallions on...and kids will love" whatever is cooked, Tsai told reporters. Apparently the theory does not have uniform applications.
"America's chefs are at the center of the most important battle to change the future," Kass said.
Colicchio and Hines won the competition, scoring 94 points to Tsai and Smith's 85. Colicchio has visited the White House, and is a big supporter of the Let's Move! campaign. Last year, Kass appeared on a special episode of Top Chef devoted to school lunches. The three other chefs all said they work in their communities on healthy eating initiatives, too. (Above: Colicchio and Hines at work; he's plating the dessert that Austin spit out)
Walmart provided the two competition kitchens, and All-Clad provided the cookware. The two families would be taking it home, but perhaps Austin's family will use it for something other than cooking. Both corporations are partners for the Let's Move! campaign.
The audience had their own dinner cooked by James Beard Award-winning chefs Anne Quatrano, Floyd Cardoz, Koren Grieveson, and Michel Nischan before the showcase.
Those dishes were also supposed to be budget-friendly and delicious: Each three-course meal cost just $4.50 per person. No spitting was observed, but some of the dishes were much better than others. (Above: Tsai plates his yogurt parfait) *A post about Mrs. Obama's keynote address to the summit is here.
Hyatt Hotels will change menu offerings; Kaiser Permanent will spotlight breastfeeding; The Fresh Grocer will build markets in food deserts; Kellogg Foundation commits $3 million; "Healthy Kids Out of School" initiative launched... Update:Click here for a post about Mrs. Obama's keynote address On Tuesday morning in Washington, DC, at the inaugural national childhood obesity summit from Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), chairman James R. Gavin III announced new corporate commitments from Hyatt Hotels and Resorts, Kaiser Permanente and The Fresh Grocer to support First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign. More than 800 participants attended the first day of the "Building a Healthier America" summit, which featured a morning address from both Newark's Mayor Cory Booker and former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Dr. Bill Frist (R-TN), honorary vice-chairs of PHA. (Above: Gavin during his remarks)
PHA is the non-profit responsible for managing and monitoring the Let's Move! commitments from private sector partners, including the pledges from Walmart and other grocers to build stores in food deserts, and from national chain Darden Restaurantsto revamp its menu offerings. Mrs. Obama serves as PHA's honorary chairwoman, and will give the keynote address on Wednesday at the summit.
Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives Sam Kass was on hand Tuesday as the conference began at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, as was Let's Move! Executive Director Dr. Judy Palfrey, mingling with participants. Kass emceed "The Great American Family Dinner Challenge" on Tuesday night. (Above: Kass with an executive from Kaiser Permanente)
Choice architecture: "Indulgences will continue to be offered" The mantra from PHA is "making the healthier choice the easier choice," and the Partnership is devoted to encouraging changes both large and small from private sector and non-profit participants who join the national campaign to end childhood obesity. The collective commitments have the potential to reach "tens of millions" citizens, according to Gavin. He announced that Hyatt's commitment will reach 23 million consumers annually; the companywill change "the nutritional profile" of its children’s and full menus across all of its restaurants, by adding one "healthier option" to its Children's Menus in the US and Canada based on the MyPlate campaign.
This will include making a fruit or vegetable available as a default side, and offering low- and non-fat milk instead of soda and sugary beverages. This project will be completed by November of 2012. The company also pledged to reduce fat, salt and sodium by 10 percent in all menu offerings, in a project that will be completed by 2016. The company noted in its press release that it has already been focusing on making such changes, prior to joining PHA.
PHA and Hyatt stressed that the menu changes involve giving consumers improved choices rather than mandating food consumption: "Hyatt Hotel’s offering of these healthy items will supplement menu items that include indulgences, which will continue to be offered," PHA said.
Kaiser Permanente corporation, one of the founding members of PHA, will "institute new guidelines in all 29 of its hospitals that offer maternal and child health services to help make breastfeeding a priority" by designating these as "Baby friendly" and changing protocols by January of 2013. New to Let's Move! for 2011 was a focus on very early childhood interventions for obesity, and Mrs. Obama has advocated breastfeeding. The Fresh Grocer, a Philadelphia-area grocery company, will build five new food markets in the mid-Atlantic region by 2016, in areas defined as food deserts, as part of Mrs. Obama's goal of eradicating all US food deserts by 2017.
Gavin noted that PHA will be "holding all the companies responsible." Companies working with PHA sign Memos of Understanding for their commitments, but there are no legal ramifications if the commitments are not actually fulfilled. "Every company that works with PHA is required to agree that PHA will monitor and report on progress toward their commitment," the foundation noted.
Gavin also announced the Healthy Kids Out of School initiative, a commitment by leading children's organizations to develop "three unified principles for nutrition and physical activity." These are detailed below.
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation during the summit announced a $3 million commitment to provide capital for financing retail, production, processing and distribution of fresh food to reach lower-income communities in Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans.
During the day, summit participants participated in workshops and roundtable discussions that were closed to press. Representatives from each entity announcing their commitments spoke to the summit participants during the morning plenary session.
Hyatt's Commitment... The Hyatt commitment mirrors the commitment made by the Darden restaurant chain. Menus at all Hyatt hotels and resorts in the U.S. and Canada will "be enhanced using the most recent U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the MyPlate federal guidance," according to Hyatt's press release. Changes to menus will be implemented at all restaurants managed by Hyatt in the U.S. and Canada as well as on menus for room service, catering, bars, lounges and pools, the company said. Children's Menu Changes *Offer a fruit or vegetable as the default side item with all children’s meals
*Make 8 oz. servings of nonfat or low-fat milk available with free refills. Promote milk or water prominently on the menu with other beverage options displayed less prominently
*Offer at least one children’s menu meal option that meets the MyPlate federal guidance: One to two servings of fruit and vegetables, a whole grain serving, a lean protein serving, and a low fat dairy (or dairy substitute) serving, which together have a nutrient composition equal to or less than 600 calories, 30 percent of total calories from fat, 10 percent total calories from saturated fat, 600 mg of sodium, and no more than 10 grams added sugar. Position and feature that meal as the first on the children’s menus.
*Ensure any food illustrations on children’s menus depict nutritious options, including milk or water as the beverage of choice if beverages are depicted.
General menus *By 2016, reduce the calorie footprint by at least 10 percent across all food menus, with an endeavor to have at least 50 percent of U.S. Hyatt properties meeting this standard within three years
*By 2016, reduce the sodium content of its food by at least 10 percent across all food menus, with an endeavor to have at least 50 percent of U.S. Hyatt properties meeting this standard within three years
*By 2016, reduce the added sugar content of food by at least 10 percent across all food menus, with an endeavor to have at least 50 percent of U.S. Hyatt properties meeting this standard by within three years
*At least two healthy menu meal options will be equivalent to or lower in price than less healthy menu meal options. This pricing parity will appear on all menus by 2016, with an endeavor to have at least 50 percent of menus reflecting this change within three years.
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation's Commitment... The Foundation announced a $3 million commitment to provide capital for financing retail, production, processing and distribution of fresh food to reach lower-income communities in Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans. The capital will be made available through the foundation’s mission-driven investment work in partnership with NCB Capital Impact (Capital Impact) of Arlington, Va., a Community Development Financial Institution.
Loans will be made to retailers and food enterprises that provide small and mid-sized producers with infrastructure – including processing, manufacturing and distribution operations – that help bring their products to local markets. Loans will be made available for a period of two years beginning in 2011.
Kaiser Permanente's Commitment... *By January 1, 2013, all of Kaiser Permanente’s 29 hospitals that offer maternal and child health services will be designated as Baby-Friendly, and/or participate in the Joint Commission’s Perinatal Core Measures program, which requires participating hospitals to report their rates of exclusive breastfeeding at discharge.
*Kaiser Permanente will establish a system-wide performance improvement program focusing on the development and implementation of evidence-based hospital breastfeeding practices.
*Kaiser Permanente will develop and make publicly available a hospital breastfeeding practices guide that documents lessons learned and operational strategies that other systems can use to improve maternity care.
*To ensure accountability, Kaiser Permanente will include rates of exclusive breastfeeding at discharge as a core quality measure on its Quality Dashboard, which will be reviewed on a quarterly basis along with other hospital quality measures.
The Fresh Grocer's Commitment... The Fresh Grocer will build five (5) grocery stores in or around areas in communities that lack access to healthy affordable foods. These stores will sell a variety of fresh fruit, vegetables, fish, meat and dairy products and will be similar in size and scope to The Fresh Grocer stores in operation in 2011. The new stores will open by 2016.
Mrs. Obama visited The Fresh Grocer in Philadelphia in 2009 to unveil the Healthy Food Financing Initative, a fund ostensibly from USDA, Treasury and Health and Human Services that would offer grocery corporations low-interest loans and tax credits in order to encourage building markets in food deserts. Congress failed to fund the Obama Administration's requests for $400 million funding in FY 2010 and FY 2011, and again declined to fund $330 million for FY 2012.
In September of 2011, the Treasury granted $24 million to food desert projects in nine states from its own dedicated funds.
Healthy Kids Out of School... The summit also had an announcement by ChildObesity180, "an alliance of senior-level national leaders from relevant sectors – public, private, academic, and nonprofit – that have aligned to reverse the trend of childhood obesity." The Healthy Kids Out of School initiative worked with leading out-of-school-time (OST) organizations to develop "three unified principles for nutrition and physical activity."
The principles recommend serving water as the primary beverage; fruits and vegetables as the primary snack; and increasing opportunities for physical activity. The Healthy Kids Out of School initiative "will also develop a comprehensive implementation plan to connect OST organizations with the local resources needed to help adopt the principles."
Participating organizations include Boy Scouts of America, National 4-H Council, Girl Scouts of the USA, National Council of La Raza, National Council of Youth Sports, National Urban League, Pop Warner, US Youth Soccer, and YMCA of the USA.
"Collectively, these organizations have the potential to reach tens of millions of children annually," PHA said.
Thanksgiving is about family, friends, and guilt-free eating for the White House chef... Sam Kass, Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives, mixes personal and political food policy observations as he talks about the First Family's Thanksgiving plans, and First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign in a new interview with NBC's David Gregory. Thanksgiving, not surprisingly, is the favorite holiday for the White House assistant chef; it's "about being together and enjoying delicious food and being able to not worry about it and just eat and eat," Kass said. The First Family shares the same feeling, said Kass.
"Thanksgiving is about celebration," Kass said. "About enjoying food and family and coming together...We just have fun and enjoy really traditional dishes that are being eaten all over the country."
Kass gives some cooking tips, too, revealing his secrets for perfect gravy and the ideal stuffing. Add nuts and cranberries, he advises, for ultimate deliciousness.
GREGORY: I just want to start by pointing out I wouldn't normally wear a full suit here, in the kitchen, but a) this is the First Kitchen, and you're in your dress whites here, so I mean that’s formal --
KASS: You know, this, this is my nice coat --
GREGORY: So I do have to ask you as we look at the White -- is this, is this the whole White House kitchen? I mean is this where everything happens?
KASS: This is where all the magic happens. And it's pretty amazing; it is quite small, at least to me--
GREGORY: It is small. I mean I’m looking around -- I mean it's bigger than my kitchen but it's still small. So whether you're cooking for the first family, or whether you’re cooking for a state dinner, it all was staged out of here.
KASS: It's all staged out of here, and you know this is an historic building, right, so we can't change any walls.
GREGORY: Right.
KASS: But when this kitchen was built, state dinners were closer to thirty people, as opposed to say a hundred and fifty or even up to three hundred. So this is what we have to work with and Chef Comerford and the team makes it happen -- and it's an amazing thing to see.
GREGORY: Let me first talk about you, because it’s interesting: You can be in your chef whites, but you're also spending part of the day wearing your suit, as an advisor in the White House on a lot of these nutritional issues. I mean this is a unique role that you play.
KASS: It is. It is a unique role, and it's a real honor to be able to work with the First Lady and the broader team, and we're trying to improve the health and nutrition of the country particularly as it pertains to our youngest, our youngest kids, so it's been a great honor.
GREGORY: Well let's talk more about that in just a minute, but I do want to talk about what everybody's talking about, which is: over Thanksgiving, and the Thanksgiving meal, this first family in particular is so committed to nutrition on a national scale and certainly in their own home. Does that also pertain to Thanksgiving or is it as much of a celebration of historical eating as it is for most families?
KASS: Thanksgiving is about a celebration, and enjoying food and family and coming together and really enjoying that whole, that whole process. So we really, we just have fun and enjoy really traditional dishes, just like dishes that are being eaten all over the country -- and the same way that they've been eating in their family for, since long before they got here. So it's about fun and enjoyment.
GREGORY: And let me ask you more generally: I mean is Thanksgiving to you, is the Thanksgiving meal a celebration of American food? Is that how you view it?
KASS: Oh absolutely. I mean I think Thanksgiving, you know, it comes from a celebration of the harvest, right – as the original, from way back when -- and for us, being in the White House, you know we just had a great harvest with a bunch of kids from the area and the First Lady and we're going to be using some of that produce for the Thanksgiving dinner here. But it is about tradition, and it is about togetherness and eating as a family and celebrating all that we have to be thankful for. And I think that is at the core of it, and you know personally I'll say it's my favorite holiday for that very reason -- that it's just about being together and enjoying delicious food and being able to not worry about it and just eat and eat.
GREGORY: What, what particularly interests you as a chef at this stage and working here? What is it that excites you the most about food? I should say what kind of food excites you the most -- whether cooking it or thinking about it.
KASS: Right, well in dual roles I probably have a couple different answers for you on that. But I think in terms of the cooking and as a chef, what excites me every day is being able to go down to the first lady's garden and being able to cook out of that. I mean it's just such an honor, number one, but two, as a chef, it's the best way to cook. I mean I can go down and pick whatever looks the best and is the most ripe, and then bring it up here and be putting it on the plate in thirty minutes. And that's, there's just, that's just exciting -- every day – ‘cause there's always something new getting ready to be harvested in the garden, so that's just been great.
GREGORY: And that is a great model for a lot of people who can eat that way, but one of the challenges you face and the First Lady faces is that so many Americans are not in a position --
KASS: That’s right.
GREGORY: To, you know, go into their garden and cook that for dinner, because -- you talk about food deserts, where fresh fruit and vegetables is not available for families to cook, whereas fast food seems to be everywhere.
KASS: Right. You know, we talk about choice and choice being you know the essence of what the First Lady is trying to, trying to work on here. But for families that don’t have any fresh food in their -- or any kind of healthy food in their neighborhoods, the notion of choice just doesn’t mean anything to them. So we’re working very hard to try to ensure that all communities really have access to healthy and affordable food.
Just this past summer the First Lady had a major announcement with, with retailers both big and small to target their growth and expansion in fifteen hundred locations across the country in the next five years. According to the companies this would, this will impact 9.5 million people -- families who do not have access to healthy and affordable food -- by either building new stores of refurbishing old stores that don’t have food to make sure we’re bringing in healthy food to these stores. It’s going to have a transformative impact for these families and make it much easier for them to make those healthier choices for, for their kids.
GREGORY: You’ve also, we’ve talked about the food pyramid and how the government revises those guidelines. What should the dinner plate look like?
KASS: Right. The the ‘My Plate’ has just been this great breakthrough. And it’s something that the First Lady had always said – ‘We need to give simple tools that make sense, and that are applicable to people’s lives.’ And while the pyramid, you know, was great and had its, had its strengths, we don’t eat off pyramids, and being able to put this in a plate form provides a framework that we can just see what is what is a plate should look like. But it’s open to the interpretation of any chef, and I say that in the most broadest terms -- all parents are chefs right? They’re cooking every night for their families -- to interpret this in a way that is delicious and creative and makes sense to the cultures and traditions of any family or community. So that’s why this has been so exciting and the response has just been overwhelming, it’s been great.
GREGORY: And so the key to your plate is what? In terms of getting the best nutritional value for particularly young people.
KASS: Yeah and eating balanced meals essentially. If every, if everyday we’re eating basically balanced meals with fruits and vegetables, whole grains, some good protein, some dairy: Then you know then our kids are free to do what they want and not for parents to not worry about them. So, you know, as a kid goes to a pizza party or has a, you know, splurges on the weekends, it’s no big deal. It’s if where kids are eating in that manner day in and day out is when they start to run into trouble.
GREGORY: But typically, I mean even like the old food pyramid, you want to see a lot of green on that plate.
KASS: A lot of green, a lot of leafy greens, dark orange vegetables, some whole grains, we’re really on the way if we’re doing that.
GREGORY: I have to ask: My colleague Mika Brzezinski on Morning Joe has been so upset about the news in the past couple of weeks, that somehow Congress came to the agreement that pizza was a vegetable. Can you help me understand how this could possibly come to pass?
KASS: You're going to have to ask them for those, for the answer on that one. You know, we’re working really hard to try to make sure that their standards are reasonable and that schools can achieve them, but also that are supporting the health of kids. So that kind of decision I’m going to have to say, the Hill is where you’re going to get the answer for that.
GREGORY: What about what’s happening in schools? Where do you think is an appropriate place for government generally, and for the administration given the First Lady’s concern about this, to have the best possible impact on what children are eating in schools?
KASS: I would say, you know the First Lady’s said this a lot -- that government has a role to play here certainly. But most of the answers to the challenges we face when it comes to our kids’ health are going to come from the country -- from citizens and teachers, parents, community leaders, business leaders, and not really from from the government. We do have a role to play and I think schools is one of the places where it’s clear we have a responsibility to ensure that there are good standards that are based on science, that really help make sure our kids are getting the food that they need. You know we’ve done a lot.
The passage of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act that the First Lady championed along with leaders on the Hill and lots of people from around the country is is is doing a lot of that work. But the First Lady also is championing the Healthier U.S. School Challenge, which is a challenge that has very high standards around both what’s being served but also physical activity and nutrition education. We’re seeing incredible response to this all over the country -- schools are working so hard to on their own raise their owns standards and meet these really high benchmarks, and that has been amazing.
So we’re working to be supportive in any and every way we can, and it’s happening all over the country. Everywhere we go we run into a science teacher who has built a garden and is doing curriculum, or we run into a food service professional who’s just taken it on his or her back to just make some big changes and educate their kids about how to make a better choice even in the cafeteria line. Story after story like this. So it’s just been great.
GREGORY: And along with that, a big part of the campaign is Let's Move, and being active and for kids as well as grownups to be active, because any of us know who try to live a fit life that you've got to get the eating right but you’ve got to -- that level of activity has to always be there. One can't go without the other.
KASS: That's absolutely right. And you'll see in this next year we're going to really focus a lot on making sure our kids are getting the activity we need. Right now, you know, the average American child is in front of a screen for about seven hours a day. And so long as our kids are sitting in front of a screen for seven hours a day, we're going to have some real challenges in making sure that they're going to reach their adulthood, you know, in a healthy place. So we're going to really work to inspire the nation, to work with mayors and other key stakeholders to provide better access to play, better access to being physically active, both in schools but then also in the community. So we're going to work hard on that.
GREGORY: So let me ask you a few quick ones. On the topic of Thanksgiving, is there a standout food for you that you like to eat or cook or both?
KASS: I'm a stuffing and gravy kind of guy.
GREGORY: Oh there's the fitness right there.
KASS: Hey, come on, look it's Thanksgiving, right. We’ve got to enjoy ourselves, you’ve got to blow it out.
GREGORY: And what's the secret to your stuffing and gravy?
KASS: Oh, well I mean I keep my gravy real simple. You just take the drippings from the turkey, a little flour, some herbs, a little shallot, a little onion, you're good to go. I keep that really simple. But I love in stuffing, some cranberries, some nuts, like pecans, and any kind of herb you throw in there. And whatever you do, whether you go bread or you go rice, you'll be good to go.
GREGORY: We've talked about grains. Like some hot grains right now that are being used in cooking. You know, great for your families instead of cooking rice, you can cook your kids some other grains -- talk about em, what excited you?
KASS: There's lots of great options out there that are really affordable and we just need to learn you know, practice, to practice cooking with them, cause you know we haven't cooked with them a lot. Couscous can be made in five minutes -- whole wheat couscous is literally done in five minutes; it's available in most stores, it's very cheap. Cracked wheat -- also really delicious, easy to cook, it's great. Brown rice, we always, you know, I always try to cook with brown rice whenever possible.
GREGORY: Farro.
KASS: There's also farro. Farro is a great grain, really good whole grain and lots of nutrients, lots of fiber, becoming more and more available. It's a really old grain, it's actually one of the world's oldest grains.
GREGORY: And you can make it like risotto.
KASS: Yeah, I make it like risotto all the time. Or you can cook it just like rice --there's lots of ways to use it. But we’re trying to, yeah, families are experimenting and coming up with new dishes all the time. It's really exciting.
GREGORY: What is a house standout, a White House favorite that you've cooked, you or the team have cooked?
KASS: Oh that’s, that's top secret information.
GREGORY: That's classified information?
KASS: There's no way I can disclose that. Oh a standout, I don't know, what's a standout? You know, we, to be quite honest with you, we just try to cook balanced meals, there always has to be a vegetable on the plate ,and it always has to get eaten -- that's for sure, that's non-negotiable. And we just try to keep balance, but we also make sure we're having fun. We have kids in this house and so you know, we throw them a bone every once and while, give ‘em something that's fun now and again--
GREGORY: Do you keep anything in the kitchen here for any late night snacks, or it's just like the leftover farro?
KASS: Yeah they’ve got to fend for themselves.
GREGORY: They’ve got to deal with that. What about when you really get to let loose? A state dinner, a time when you really want to be creative, what really gets your juices flowing as a chef and for that kind of setting?
KASS: Oh you know, look, it just depends on the season. I think a lot of times we really try to cook with what's the weather, what's the season like. So today it's cold and rainy, well you know that would be more exciting to get the soups, the squashes, we did, Chef Comerford did an amazing squash dish, squash soup, for the Korean state dinner that was made with squash from the garden. It was actually planned as a part of a three sister's garden, with the corned beans and squash that some young kids planted with us. So that was amazing. We got so excited about that. It's really fun to watch that whole process translate into a state dinner, I mean it's just been amazing.
GREGORY: Chef Kass, thank you very much.
KASS: It's been such a pleasure.
GREGORY: Happy Holidays.
KASS: To you as well.
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*Photo by Eddie Gehman Kohan/Obama Foodorama. NBC Video.
On Saturday in Hawaii, during a visit to MA'O Organic Farms,First Lady Michelle Obama held a roundtable discussion on the importance of healthy eating and organic farming for her Let's Move! campaign to end childhood obesity. After, Mrs. Obama presented the student interns who run the farm with a special gift: Presidential M&Ms. The college-age farmers, above, pose with their boxes of M&Ms, which feature the Presidential seal on one side of the blue and white box, and President Obama's autograph on the other side. During the roundtable, the students described their families' health challenges with diet-related disease to Mrs. Obama.
Native Hawaiians have a statistically high prevalence of obesity, and the farm engages in community outreach to try to shift the local eating paradigm to healthier foods. (Above: A close-up of the First Lady's gift)
"I tried for years to try and get them to eat healthy," said student farmer Derrick Parker, 21, of his family's eating habits.
"I mean, I grow vegetables for a living. It's not hard to take some home -- My dad, he's so stubborn, he's so used to eating, like, Spam, corned beef. But I mean, it just takes a lot to try and get it to work."
The coveted boxes of Presidential M&Ms are given to special guests visiting the White House, and they're also included in the Halloween treat bags given to kids trick-or-treating at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
President Obama's sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, was also on hand to listen to Mrs. Obama discuss her signature initiative.
The White House today released this photo of First Lady Michelle Obama watching Guinness Book of World Records holder John Cassidy performing a balloon act in the Diplomatic Reception Room. The photo was taken on Oct. 11, just before Mrs. Obama led about 400 kids in a kickoff event on the South Lawn for an attempt at breaking the Guinness World Record for Most People Doing Jumping Jacks in a 24-hour period, as part of her Let's Move! campaign to inspire kids to get fit. Did she succeed? A Guinness spokesman today told Obama Foodorama that the world record has not yet been confirmed. It takes about six to eight weeks to "gather the evidence," she said, and the company has not yet received all the "documentation" from the various Jumping Jacks events held around the globe.
The Diplomatic Reception Room has become a sports room for the Obama White House: In September, Mrs. Obama played ping pong in the Diplomatic Reception Room with Nickelodeon TV boy band Big Time Rush.
World record holder Cassidy performed for the kids on the South Lawn before the First Lady launched the challenge. A video of Mrs. Obama and the kids in action:
As the Obama administration struggles to create voluntary principles for advertising food to children, Kass takes the Let's Move! message to content creators... As the chief ambassador for First Lady Obama's childhood obesity campaign, Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives Sam Kass regularly speaks at food and health policy conferences. But late this afternoon in Washington, DC, he'll be making his first-ever appearance before a group of media professionals, explaining the Let's Move! campaign to food marketing and PR mavens as he gives the keynote address at the International Foodservice Editorial Council (IFEC) conference. (Kass, above)
The IFEC has located its three-day conference in Washington this year because it is specifically focused on food policy, something that is crucial to understand for a membership that's devoted to creating food product placements and food ad campaigns, lobbying campaigns, and editorial content for publications aimed at America's multi-billion dollar grocery, restaurant, agricultural product, and food and beverage sectors. Kass' speech comes as the Obama Administration is in the midst of re-tooling "voluntary principles" to guide food, beverage and media companies in their advertising campaigns aimed at children.
Among other Let's Move! initiatives, Kass is today expected to discuss the major private-sector commitment Mrs. Obama has gotten from America's largest chain restaurant corporation, Darden Restaurants, Inc, to change its menu offerings. Darden's commitment included changes in how it will market foods to the children visiting its thousands of restaurants. He'll also explain the Chefs Move to Schools initiative, and Walmart's partnership with the White House.
In April, the Federal Trade Commission unveiled a sweeping set of "voluntary principles" that included specific nutrition standards for food and beverages marketed to children. But in October, David Vladeck, head of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, testified at a House hearing that FTC is considering "significant revisions" to the proposal, offering a version that's far less stringent, which will cover just the 11-and-under crowd. That came after the food and beverage industry launched an aggressive lobbying campaign against the Administration's proposals, and also issued their own "voluntary" principles in response to the FTC proposal.
All of this is in addition to Kass' other Administration duties, such as unveiling MiPlato, the Spanish-language edition of USDA's MyPlate, and his many White House meetings with stakeholders (one example is here). He also still reportedly cooks dinner each night for the First Family, and travels with them.
An interview with Mrs. Obama, a Kitchen Garden tour, a lesson in healthy cooking... UPDATE:Videos are here First Lady Michelle Obama, Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford, and Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives Sam Kass are all featured in a special episode of NBC daytimer "The Nate Berkus Show," which will air on Monday, Nov. 7. It's the first time all have been on the show. Host Berkus, an interior designer, took his crew to film at the White House during the October 5th Fall Harvest of the Kitchen Garden, according to an East Wing spokesman. (Above: Mrs. Obama and Berkus on the South Lawn)
Berkus has an "exclusive interview" with Mrs. Obama, and she'll talk about the Let's Move! campaign: "Nate joins the First Lady on the South Lawn for her only interview in daytime about how viewers can change the way their families eat – today!" notes the press release.
Berkus also tours the Kitchen Garden with Kass, and visits the kitchen for a lesson in healthy cooking from Comerford: "Cook a five star meal that’s fit for your First Family!" Check your local listings for showtimes.
Lots of White House Kitchen TV last week... Click here to watch videos of Kass giving Kitchen Garden tours last week, during a special media day at the White House. Comerford and two other chefs were featured on the"Today" show last Friday, thanks to losing a collective 75 pounds. Mrs. Obama'sforthcoming book, "American Grown,"is about the Kitchen Garden, and will be released in April of 2012. The 2011 Fall Harvest is included in the book, too. *Photo courtesy of NBC/The Nate Berkus Show
The Obamas have an obsession with apples, and this recipe is worth obsessing over... All evidence points to the fact that President Obama and First Lady Obama have an obsession with apples. Rather than flowers, the President keeps a bowl of apples front and center in the Oval Office on his coffee table, and similar bowls are all over the East and West Wings. An apple is part of the graphic logo for Mrs. Obama's Lets Move! campaign. Apples are frequently used for decorating, most recently for the State Dinner for South Korea, where hundreds of apples loaded the floral centerpieces and garlands (these were then recycled into this amazing apple decoration) There are just three fruit trees on the 18-acre grounds, and two are apple trees.* Last year's National Turkey, pardoned for Thanksgiving by the President, was named "Apple." His stunt double was named "Cider."
In 2009,President Obama nicknamed Executive Pastry Chef Bill Yosses (l) "The Crust Master," thanks to his delirious pie crusts that are made with both butter and lard. But Yosses could just as easily be called "The Apple Master," because he shares the apple obsession. Yosses has just issued his fifth White House recipe starring apples.
Ingredients 2 large Gala Apples cut into half vertically
Two Tbls Lemon Juice
3 Tbls Olive Oil
1 Cup Water
1/2 Cup Artisanal Honey
4 dried Pears cut into dice
1 chunk Maytag Blue Cheese, enough for four Tbsp
Method 1. Cut and core Apples, grease a baking pan with olive oil and lemon juice, and place Apples flesh side down.
2. Bake for 45 minutes to 60 minutes until tender, but not collapsed.
3. Remove and allow to cool.
4. Place cut side up on a baking sheet.
5. Dice dried Pears and place in a saucepan with 1 cup water and 1/2 cup honey.
6. Simmer for 10 minutes and then strain liquid out.
7. Scoop Pears into center of each Apple.
8. Place one tablespoon of Maytag Blue Cheese on top of each Apple, over Pears, and place in 425F oven for 8 minutes until cheese melts.
9. Remove from oven, serve warm.
*Makes four servings
*White House fruit trees: There are just three fruit trees on the 18-acre White House campus, and two are apple trees. There's a decorative Crab Apple tree by Mrs. Obama's Kitchen Garden, and a Red Delicious apple tree in the Children's Garden. It's still young, and not yet fruiting, according to White House Chief Horticulturalist Jim Adams. The tree replaces an old tree that was downed in a winter storm in 2010. But it is doing well, Adams recently told Obama Foodorama.
The third fruit tree is also by Mrs. Obama's Kitchen Garden: It's a fig tree, descended from a Marseilles fig grown by President Thomas Jefferson at Monticello, and donated to the White House in 2009 for Mrs. Obama's garden, where there are two special beds in honor of Jefferson. The fig tree fruited for the first time this Fall.
*Top photo by Pete Souza/White House; Yosses photo by Eddie Gehman Kohan/ ObamaFoodorama.com
In Louisiana, a focus on early childhood intervention...First Lady Michelle Obama will visit New Orleans today for an 11:00 AM Let's Move! event at the Royal Castle Child Development Center, the first nationally-accredited day care center in the city, which serves more than than 100 children. Mrs. Obama had two DNC fundraisers scheduled after in Houston, Texas, but the White House announced on Monday that these have been canceled.
In New Orleans, Mrs. Obama's event will "highlight the importance of building healthy habits at a very young age," said the East Wing. "The Louisiana Children's Museum conducts East Sleep Play, an 11-week program at the center with children and parents focused on healthy eating and learning about good nutrition and physical fitness."
The program is actually calledEat Sleep Play, and is an arts-based health curriculum that was developed at the Children's Museum of Manhattan (CMOM) as part of a three-year pilot program to teach children, parents and caregivers how to eat healthy, get the right amount of sleep and lead an active lifestyle. CMOM staff have trained staff at the Louisiana Children's Musuem, who in turn have trained staff at Royal Castle Child Development Center.
In May of 2011, Mrs. Obama launched Let's Move Museums and Gardens, which focuses on using museums and public education facilities for her childhood obesity initiative. In June of 2011, Mrs. Obama launched Let's Move Childcare, which focuses on early childhood development.
One of the canceled Houston fundraisers Mrs. Obama was supposed to attend was at the River Oaks mansion of Laura and John Arnold, a billionaire and former Enron trader. Guests paid $10,000 to attend the evening reception, with couples paying $15,000. An earlier 5:30 PM reception cost $250 per ticket.
IOM recommends that FDA develop & implement single, standardized, easy-to-read label system to promote healthier food choices by consumers... The federal Institute of Medicine today released a report on front-of-package (FOP) labeling for food products, a key issue in First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign. The report finds that the current labeling systems the food industry has come up--including a couple since the start of the Obama Administration--are inadequate and confusing, and consumers need better information. The report recommends that the Food and Drug Administration "develop, test, and implement a single, standardized FOP symbol system to appear on all food and beverage products, in place of other systems already in use." ONLY four items should be on FOP labels: Calories; saturated and transfats; sodium; and sugars. Check marks or stars should be used to give consumers an idea of how healthy the product is. Current labeling schemes in use by the food industry contain much more information, as well as useless phrases such as "all natural." (Above: An example of how the new system might look)
DOWNLOAD"Front-of-Package Nutrition Rating Systems And Symbols: Promoting Healthier Choices" [PDF]
"It is time for a move away from front-of-package systems that mostly provide nutrition information on foods or beverages but don’t give clear guidance about their healthfulness, and toward one that encourages healthier choices through simplicity, visual clarity, and the ability to convey meaning without written information," the Report notes.
The symbol system "should show calories in household servings on all products. Foods and beverages should be evaluated using a point system for saturated and trans fats and sodium, and added sugars. The more points a food or beverage has, the healthier it is," according to the Report. To display this, the IOM committee recommends a point system based on levels of saturated and trans fats, sodium, and sugars for evaluating food products. The points are to be indicated with check marks or stars.
"This system would encourage food and beverage producers to develop healthier fare and consumers to quickly and easily find healthier products when they shop," the report noted.
Shopping is also top on the First Lady's agenda to combat childhood obesity: Through a series of private partnerships, Mrs. Obama is battling to get supermarkets built in underserved areas across the US. Next week, she will convene a food desert "summit" in Chicago, which will focus on the issue anew.
Front of package labels are high-value ad space that food companies use to promote their products, and getting them to devote space to nutrition information that is useful has been a highly contentious debate. Read here about why FOP labeling is important, in an analysis by acclaimed nutritionist Dr. Marion Nestle.
"Michelle does a good job promoting produce,” President says during pumpkin pit stop on Ground Force One... First Lady Michelle Obama joined President Obama for one of his favorite pastimes this morning: Hopping off Ground Force One to make a foodie pit stop. Of course the stop was healthier than a couple of the eat n' greets the President has had on his own, like his Monday stop at a North Carolina general store to buy a bucketload of candy. Today's visit was to the kind of place Mrs. Obama has devoted herself to making popular: A farmers market. Located in Hampton, Virginia, Wood’s Orchard Farm Market has been open for sixty years, and it was chock full of seasonal, locally grown delights, including huge pumpkins and produce, and laden with homemade jams and breads. (Above: The President and Mrs. Obama with a wagonload of pumpkins)
"You know Michelle does a good job promoting produce,” President Obama told owner Billy Wood. “She tries to get everyone to eat their vegetables."
Clad in wide-legged pants and a striped shirt, Mrs. Obama perused the pumpkins as the President chatted with Wood and other locals. The First Couple bought a couple of apples, a bag of peanuts, a jar of what seemed to be honey, and ten pumpkins to bring home to the White House, including one that weighed about 70 pounds. They paid cash. (Above: The President hauls a wagon of pumpkins out of the store, and carries his bag of goodies)
Yesterday, the President asked a North Carolina crowd not to tell his wife what he's been eating while on his three-day bus tour. She knows what he ate today: The First Couple stopped for a lunch at a Hampton pizzeria, where they were joined by four veterans. The two stops came after a morning visit to Joint Base Langley-Eustis, where both spoke at an event at which Mrs. Obama announced that the American Logistics Association (ALA) and their 270 affiliate companies have signed on to her Joining Forces campaign, and committed to hiring 25,000 veterans and military spouses by the end of 2013.
Pool report & video from the farmers market: At about 11:30 a.m. POTUS and FLOTUS, riding the imposing Ground Force One, stopped at a roadside farmer’s market in Hampton called “Wood’s Orchard Farm Market,” which was chock full of pumpkins. Owners Billy and Betty Wood said they have been in business for 60 years, married for 51, and working at this location on East Mercury Blvd. since the 1940s. A billboard read: “Pumpkin Patch Open Hayrides” and had hours of the rides on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Another sign read: “No credit cards under $10.” (Above: The President loads pumpkins on to Ground Force One)
POTUS and FLOTUS spent about 20 minutes inspecting pumpkins, as well as some other goods, such as fruit, jams and honey. Billy Wood informed the president that there are 8 varieties of sweet potatoes. A handmade sign on a pillar read: “Pie pumpkins $3.00 each.”
“You know Michelle does a good job promoting produce,” Obama replied. “She tries to get everyone to eat their vegetables.”
Obama talked a lot to the shopkeepers, but Michelle Obama was busy inspecting pumpkins. She seemed very interested in oversized white-colored ones, which Betty Wood later explained were called “full moon pumpkins.” Michelle Obama picked one up by wrapping both arms around it to load it into a metal rolling cart with a long metal handle. Betty Wood later estimated the pumpkin could weigh 70 pounds.
POTUS quipped: “Don’t hurt yourself now.” .. He yelled out to an aide: “We are we going to put it? In the back of the bus?”
Michelle Obama loaded more into the cart. “How many are you going to buy?” POTUS asked. “You want anything else?”
“No, we’ll have enough trouble getting these back,” she said.
POTUS approached the cash register. They had about 10 pumpkins, including two of the full moons. He also had two red apples, a bag of peanuts and a jar of yellow-colored syrup that appeared to possibly be honey. He handed Billy Wood some $20s. (We think the cost came to about $60, but it is not clear.) Obama asked if they would take a picture together and also promised to send photos of the pumpkins back to the store.
“We’re going to send pictures of the pumpkins outside the White House,” he said, shortly before they carried the pumpkins back onto Ground Force One and the caravan rolled onward.
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*Pool was Politico's Glenn Thrush. *AP photos, Telegraph UK video
Mrs. Obama throws a Let's Move! party: A thousand guests attend South Lawn celebration for HealthierUS School Challenge... It was a festive atmosphere on the very sunny South Lawn on Monday afternoon as First Lady Michelle Obama welcomed about 1,000 school officials from across the US to a party that celebrated her goal of doubling the number of schools enrolled in the HealthierUS School Challenge in a year. The original goal was 1,250 schools, but it has now been surpassed: There are actually 1,631 schools certified in the program, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced to the cheering crowd. He stood beside Mrs. Obama as she offered words of praise to the school cafeteria professionals, nutrition directors and principals, and hailed their efforts to serve healthy food and encourage fitness as something that will have an impact for generations to come. (Above: Mrs. Obama with Vilsack and 6th grader Alex Roman, who introduced her)
"You’re affecting the choices they’re going to make for the rest of their lives," Mrs. Obama, clad in a pink, sleeveless dress with black accents, said. "You’re affecting not just how these kids feed themselves, but how they’re going to feed their own children."
"We can affect who they will be forever," Mrs. Obama added. "And that is truly, truly powerful stuff."
The Administration estimates that many children get up to half of their daily calories at school, a major problem when one in three children is overweight or obese. The Challenge, a cornerstone of the Let's Move! campaign, is a program run by USDA that rewards schools participating in the National School Lunch Program for voluntarily adopting healthy USDA standards for foods served in cafeterias, and for providing students with nutrition education and opportunities for physical activity. Prizes are cash grants and plaques, at four levels of achievement: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Gold with Distinction.
"In our movement to end the epidemic of childhood obesity in America, all of you -- our nation’s educators -- you are the unsung heroes," Mrs. Obama said. "I get a lot of accolades and everybody is like, 'First Lady, you're doing a great job.' But you all are doing the real work on the ground."
USDA has had the Challenge in place since 2004, but until Mrs. Obama threw down the gauntlet to double the number a year ago, participation had flatlined. Transforming school nutrition environments is hard work.
Paula Warner(l) Child Nutrition Supervisor for the Iberville Parish School District in Louisiana, is one of the unsung heroes. She was at the White House because four of her eight schools won the Gold Award with Distinction. Warner took on elementary school kids first, but getting them to eat their vegetables was initially a tough road, she said.
“So we put the broccoli in a casserole; we served it with low fat cheese and low fat cream sauce and they eat it," Warner said. Still, kids are ready for change, she added, which is a tenet of Mrs. Obama's campaign.
“They are less indoctrinated and it’s easier to influence their eating habits,” said Warner.
The district now substitutes Romaine lettuce for Iceberg lettuce: It's more colorful and it has more nutrients, Warner said. The kids no longer notice that they're eating brown rice instead of white rice. And though hot dogs are still on the menu, they have been shorn of some fat and salt.
“The cost of doing all this was negligible,” Warner said. “Besides, when you consider health care costs it’s worth it.”
That's Mrs. Obama's point, too. It doesn't cost a lot to ensure that kids are being raised in an environment that's as healthy as possible. And it can happen no matter what kind of school kids attend.
"You’ve shown us that there is no one way to win this award," Mrs. Obama said. "You come from urban, suburban, rural communities. You come from schools that are big and small...There is no one-size-fits-all solution here."
The First Lady ticked off the achievements of the Let's Move! campaign to date: 3,000 citizen chefs enrolled in the Chefs Move to Schools initiative, which marries professional chefs to public schools; 800 salad bars awarded through the Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools project; community and school gardens being planted all over the US; running and fitness clubs at schools; schools sending out monthly nutrition newsletters.
"I've been out there visiting you, and it is real. You all are willing to do whatever it takes to help our kids," Mrs. Obama said. That's why the White House "rolled out the red carpet" for the party, she said. The First Lady urged the school officials to share information and get to know each other better, and to bring along schools in their home districts that might be struggling and need assistance.
"Hopefully, today is the beginning of many, many excellent relationships that will continue to build," Mrs. Obama said. "So get to know each other. Because this [the Challenge] is a competition that every school in America can win."
There are plenty of schools left that can meet the Challenge: USDA says that nearly 95,000 schools are involved in the National School Lunch Program, which feeds 32 million kids. The National School Breakfast Program feeds about 11 million kids.
A huge apple, made of hundreds of (faux) apples recycled from Thursday's State Dinner decorations, stood in the center of the South Lawn. Guests were encouraged to put notes on top of it, with creative ideas for boosting the health environment at schools. They gathered around, adding their tips, and posing for photos. The Washington Monument loomed in the background. (Above: The "Idea Apple")
Let's Move! team meets with guests... It was a very busy party: Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives Sam Kass worked the crowd, as did Let's Move! Executive Director Dr. Judy Palfrey. At a prep table, Executive Pastry Chef Bill Yosses and Assistant Pastry Chef Susie Morrison demonstrated how to make Healthy Fruit and Oat Snack Bars (the recipe is here).
Members of the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition mingled with the school pros, including co-chair and Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Dominique Dawes and Cornell McClellan, the President and Mrs. Obama's personal trainer. They spoke to guests about the PALA Challenge. The guests were given tours of the Kitchen Garden, still cordoned off from this weekend'sFall Garden Tours. (Above: Kass and Dawes speak with visitors)
Guests were also treated to the rollicking musical stylings of two military bands: The Marines' Own Free Country, and the Navy's Country Current. Huge baskets of apples and other healthy treats were on offer, under white tents with White House butlers providing service.
"I'm so proud of you all, so excited. Just keep doing what you're doing, and we'll be right there with you every step of the way," Mrs. Obama said as she finished her remarks.
The First Lady shook hands, gave hugs, and posed for photos with the guests before going back inside the residence. The band continued to play after she left, and the guests continued to mingle. (Above: Marines' Own Free Country plays)
Let's Jump!: The old Guinness World Record is now dust as First Lady sets new record with more than 300,000 participants...
