White House Halloween 2011: Bo As Superman

The First Dog is super rather than scary as the White House recycles a darling statue from the 2010 Christmas celebration...
A cute statue of First Dog Bo--or as he's called today, "Boo"--dressed for Halloween as Superman--stood among the hay bales, bats, cobwebs, and pumpkins at the White House as President Obama and First Lady Obama welcomed trick-or-treaters on Saturday evening, starting at 5:45 PM. (Above: SuperBo stands guard at the White House)

A light snow fell, following a heavy rain as a storm swept through the Northeast. The President and Mrs. Obama gave the kids goodie bags filled with a box of White House M&Ms, a White House Sweet Dough Butter Cookie, and a scoop of the dreaded dried fruit that the President publicly worried about earlier in the week.

“Let’s give out some candy,” President Obama said to the kids as he walked to the driveway. “I know it’s cold here, you guys doing alright? It’s not ideal out here.”

The kids were fine, and thrilled by the First Couple as well as by the 4-foot statue of the First Dog, which was recycled from the White House 2010 holiday decorations. The statue was first created by volunteers last December, using about 40,000 pipe cleaners. Recycling decorations is big at the White House: Today's decor also featured faux apples used at the most recent State Dinner, which were also re-purposed for a party Mrs. Obama recently threw on the South Lawn.(Above: The real First Do with his statue in the East Garden Room during last year's holidays)

Bo is big with kids: He recently had his portrait taken with his mistress in her world-famous Kitchen Garden on the South Lawn, as a special memento to be mailed to children who write to the First Lady.

Cookies in honor of the sweet First Dog are very popular with White House guests, too, though the cookies for this year's Halloween were in the shape of an orange White House. During the winter holiday receptions, guests who got ahold of Bo cookies, which came in a variety of versions, tended to pocket them rather than eat them. (Above: Bo cookies for the 2010 holiday receptions)

Bo also has his own White House baseball card downloadable here, and here he is with me at a State dinner.

*Top photo by AP; others are White House photos.

read more "White House Halloween 2011: Bo As Superman"

Recipe: White House Halloween Cookies

Executive Pastry Chef Bill Yosses' White House Sweet Dough Butter Cookies...
President Obama joked to Jay Leno earlier this week that the White House will get egged on Halloween if more candy isn't included in the treat bags, but the goodies this year for Saturday's early Presidential trick-or-treating contain exactly the same items as in 2010 and 2009, the White House announced. Yes, there's candy: Each cellophane treat bag includes a box of White House M&Ms, a scoop of dried fruit, and a White House Sweet Dough Butter Cookie made by Executive Pastry Chef Bill Yosses and his team. A couple thousand local kids are expected to troop across the pumpkin- and cobweb-laden North Lawn for a stop under the North Portico, where they'll be greeted by the President and First Lady. (Above: A tray of the cookies during prep)

Each cookie is a mini White House dipped in orange-colored icing. The treats are packed in clear cellophane bags covered with stars and tied with a purple ribbon. The White House released the recipe for the cookies, and a "recipe" for the dried fruit. Each batch of cookies contains--and here's where things get really scary--a pound of sugar and two pounds of butter. The horror! The recipe is very easy, but the dough must be refrigerated over night before it can be used. Check the sidebar for more White House recipes. (Above: The Presidential M&Ms that are in each treat bag)

White House Sweet Dough Butter Cookies

*Dough must be chilled overnight.

*Preheat the oven to 350F.

Ingredients
1 lb Sugar
2 lbs Butter
3 lbs All Purpose Flour
3 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp Salt

Method
1. Mix the butter and sugar till soft and well beaten.

2. Then add eggs, vanilla, salt and half the flour. Beat on slow speed till mixed, then add the rest of the flour and mix until incorporated.

3. Push flat onto a cookie sheet and refrigerate overnight.

4. The next day, roll dough out to one quarter inch thick, and cut out cookie shapes with cookie cutter.

5. Bake at 350F for 14 minutes and then allow to cool.

Decorate as desired. Number of cookie servings varies depending on size of cookies cut.

White House Dried Fruit Mix

Mix dried apples, apricots, pears, blueberries, pineapple, papaya, pear, cherries and banana chips together, and serve.

In this video about 2011 Halloween preparations, Assistant Pastry Chef Susie Yosses shows off the cookies and treat bags getting put together in the pastry shop:


Related: CLICK HERE for a post about the 2009 Obama Halloween Celebration; CLICK HERE for a post about the 2010 Obama Halloween Celebration.

read more "Recipe: White House Halloween Cookies"

Behind-The-Scenes Video: Getting Ready For Halloween 2011 At The White House

President & First Lady will welcome trick-or-treaters as the White House becomes the Orange House...
President Obama and First Lady Obama will celebrate Halloween early this year, welcoming a couple thousand local kids for trick-or-treating under the North Portico of the White House on Saturday. Here's a video about what staff and volunteers have been doing to get the treats ready and the grounds decorated: Ravens, bats, cobwebs, pumpkin urns and haystacks are all over the North Lawn. Last week, the Obamas purchased pumpkins at a farmers market in Virginia, and there's a clip from their visit included in the video. These have been carved and decorated. There's also a peek inside the Pastry Kitchen, where Assistant Pastry Chef Susie Morrison shows off the treats bags.

Despite President Obama joking to Jay Leno earlier this week that the White House will get egged on Halloween if more candy isn't handed out, the treat bags for Saturday's celebration contain exactly the same items as in 2010, the White House announced today. Yes, there's candy: Each goodie bag includes a box of White House M&Ms, a scoop of dried fruit, and a White House Sweet Dough Butter Cookie made by Executive Pastry Chef Bill Yosses and his team. Each cookie is a mini White House, covered with orange glaze. The treats are packed in clear cellophane bags covered with stars and tied with a ribbon. The recipe for the cookies and the dried fruit mix is here. Check the sidebar for more White House recipes.

The President talks White House egging on the Tonight Show...


Related: CLICK HERE for a post about the 2009 Obama Halloween Celebration; CLICK HERE for a post about the 2010 Obama Halloween Celebration.

read more "Behind-The-Scenes Video: Getting Ready For Halloween 2011 At The White House"

President Obama's Statement On Court Approval Of Pigford II Settlement

$1.5 billion settlement from Claims Resolution Act of 2010 is certified in US District Court; Holder, Vilsack statements after the jump...
President Obama on Friday afternoon issued a statement hailing Thursday's US District Court approval of the $1.5 billion Pigford II settlement as "another important step forward in addressing an unfortunate chapter in USDA’s civil rights history." The settlement for the longstanding, highly contentious racial bias case brought by black farmers against the US Department of Agriculture was included in the Claims Resolution Act of 2010, which President Obama signed into law on Dec. 8, 2010. Before then, in 2009 and 2010, black farmers had held a series of rallies around the US demanding settlement, including in Washington, DC, where they gathered in front of the USDA headquarters and demanded justice. (Above: The President, surrounded by lawmakers and Cabinet Secretaries during the Oval Office signing ceremony for the Act)

Late on Thursday, Judge Paul L. Friedman of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued a motion to certify and approve the settlement for Pigford II, writing in his decision that it is "fair, reasonable, and adequate" as a way to "further redress the historic discrimination against African-American farmers."

"This agreement will provide overdue relief and justice to African American farmers, and bring us closer to the ideals of freedom and equality that this country was founded on," President Obama said. "I especially want to recognize the efforts of Secretary Vilsack and Attorney General Holder, without whom this settlement would not have been reached."

In Pigford I, the original suit brought by black farmers against USDA, the farmers accused the Department of institutional racism, land grabbing, and denying them the same benefits offered to their white counterparts, especially in financial services. The suit was settled, but Pigford II was filed as a continuation of the cause, and created as a class action suit for farmers who had been "locked out" of Pigford I.

"This settlement is the product of extraordinary efforts by private litigants and their counsel, by the Congress, and by the executive branch," Friedman wrote. "The court joins all of those parties in hoping that it will bring class members the relief to which they are entitled."

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Attorney General Eric Holder today both issued statements about the settlement.

“This settlement allows the Department of Agriculture and African-American farmers to focus on the future, and brings us one step closer to giving these farmers a chance to have their claims heard,” Holder said. “Accomplishing this settlement has been a top priority of this Administration and I am pleased that the court has approved it.”

“President Obama, Attorney General Holder and I are thrilled by the court’s approval so we can continue turning the page on this sad chapter in USDA history," Vilsack said. “Court approval of the Pigford settlement is another important step to ensure some level of justice for black farmers and ranchers who faced discrimination when trying to obtain services from USDA."

"In the months and years ahead, we will not stop working to move the department into a new era as a model employer and premier service provider for all Americans regardless of race, ethnicity or gender.”

Under the Pigford II settlement, eligible black farmers will receive about $50,000 in compensation. Black farmer claimants must have farmed or attempted to farm between 1981 and 1986, have filed a discrimination complaint before July 1, 1987, and have filed a claim after the deadline in the original settlement, Pigford I.

Related: President Obama's condolence statement for Elouise Cobell, lead plaintiff in the Cobell suit, who passed away earlier this month. The settlement of the Cobell suit, for American Indian plaintiffs, was also included in the Claims Resolution Act of 2010.

*Photo by Chuck Kennedy/White House

read more "President Obama's Statement On Court Approval Of Pigford II Settlement"

Behind The Scenes: Chicago Food Desert Summit

First Lady made two closed-to-press stops during her Chicago trip, with a visit to iron Street Urban Farm and to Campaign headquarters...
During her visit to her hometown of Chicago on Tuesday for the first-ever Let's Move! food desert summit, First Lady Michelle Obama made two closed-to-press stops. In the afternoon, she toured Iron Street Urban Farm on the South Side, a 7-acre facility located in an old truck depot that has been transformed into an oasis of urban agriculture. Though closed to press, the White House released two photos from the event. The tour was led by Erika Allen, National Outreach Director for Growing Power, which runs the farm. Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives Sam Kass also went on the tour. Above, Allen, in purple, explains mushroom chandeliers to Mrs. Obama, as Kass, left, and Emanuel look on. Will Allen, the CEO of Growing Power, who is considered America's foremost urban ag expert, is in the tan jacket.

Above, Mrs. Obama views an area of Iron Street where kids learn to repair bikes, which are then used to deliver foods produced by the farm.

Erika Allen is Will Allen's daughter, and grew up farming with her father. She hosted the summit's morning roundtable discussion at the farm, where she, Kass, and Emanuel spoke with Mayors from eight cities about food access and economic issues. Mrs. Obama's goal of eradicating US food deserts by 2017 will "absolutely" be achieved, according to Kass.

Another Chicago stop for the First Lady...
Mrs. Obama's other closed press and unannounced stop during her Chicago trip was a visit to the 2012 national Campaign headquarters in the Prudential building. The stop wasn't noted on Mrs. Obama's schedule, and the pool reporter covering her visit had been dismissed. Mrs. Obama dropped by after speaking at a fundraiser, and arrived at 7:10 PM and departed at 7:45 PM, a campaign spokesman told Chicago Sun-Times' Lynn Sweet. "She spoke for about 15 minutes and shook hands," Sweet was told.

At 9:22 PM, @BarackObama sent out a message via Twitter: "The First Lady stopped by campaign HQ tonight on her way back to Washington to get us fired up. It worked. #Obama2012."

On Tuesday mid-day, before arriving in Chicago to make the closing remarks at the food desert summit, Mrs. Obama attended a campaign fundraiser in Detroit. 

*Official White House photos by Lawrence Jackson

read more "Behind The Scenes: Chicago Food Desert Summit"

Chef Mario Batali: President Obama Needs A Knife

The one-time White House guest chef weighs in on the President's track record...
New York celeb chef Mario Batali, who visited First Lady Michelle Obama at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in October of 2009 to film a White House episode of Iron Chef America: Superchef Battle, discussed President Obama during an appearance on CNN with Piers Morgan.

"Obama came in with a really great idea, and I love him, and I love what he represents, but he came into the knife fight without the knife," Batali said.

Batali needed a sharper knife during his Iron Chef White House battle: He and teammate Emeril Lagasse lost to White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford and teammate Bobby Flay. The episode aired in January of 2010, and caused an outcry in the media because "stunt vegetables" were used for the filming of the competition part of the show, rather than the vegetables the chefs had been filmed plucking from the First Lady's Kitchen Garden. (Above: Batali is next to Mrs. Obama; from left is Flay, Comerford, host Alton Brown and Lagasse)

*Food Network photo

read more "Chef Mario Batali: President Obama Needs A Knife"

President Obama Attends Diwali Reception

President Obama will attend a closed-to-press reception for the holiday of Diwali this evening on the White House campus.  The 5:10 PM event will be in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. CLICK HERE to read about past Obama celebrations of Diwali, and the President's 2011 Diwali greeting.

read more "President Obama Attends Diwali Reception"