Partnership for a Healthier America's two-day childhood obesity summit begins Tuesday; includes Great American Family Dinner Challenge... First Lady Michelle Obama will give the keynote address on Wednesday morning at Partnership for a Healthier America's (PHA) Building a Healthier Future Summit. The two-day event in Washington, DC, is the first national summit hosted bythe non-profit foundation established to further Mrs. Obama's Let's Move! campaign, and will bring together business and industry leaders with their nonprofit, academic, and government counterparts for panel meetings and discussions. It begins on Tuesday morning at the Omni Shoreham Hotel.
Mrs. Obama serves as honorary chair of PHA, which is led by Dr. James R. Gavin III. The foundation is responsible for organizing and managing the private-sector commitments the First Lady has garnered for the Let's Move! campaign, including the pledges from Walmart and other grocers to build stores in food deserts, and from national chain Darden Restaurantsto revamp its menu offerings.
At the summit, "private sector leaders from all industries will be announcing new commitments while current PHA partners will be proving updates on their progress," according to organizers.
Honorary vice-chairs Mayor Cory Booker of Newark, NJ and former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, M.D., will both speak at the summit, as will Gavin.
Healthy cooking in the spotlight... Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives Sam Kass is also a featured participant at the Summit. Kass will serve as the emcee for The Great American Family Dinner Challenge on Tuesday night, a cooking exhibition that will pit two teams of James Beard Award-winning chefs against each other to create a fabulous dinner on a Food Stamps budget. The chefs--Tom Colicchio and Maria Hines vs. Holly Smith and Ming Tsai--will have $10 of ingredients and just thirty minutes to dazzle the judges, who are two sets of "real" parents. (Kass, above)
A dinner on Tuesday night for all Summit attendees will be cooked by James Beard Award winners and nominees Floyd Cardoz, Koren Grieveson, Michel Nischan and Anne Quatrano. Social media: PHA's website is here; a Facebook page for the summit is here; Twitter is @PHANews with the hashtag #PHASummit. Check out @LetsMove and Letsmove.gov for the First Lady's campaign.
Never waste a crisis: Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan says that a South Lawn crop disaster might have been a good thing... Washington Whispersreports that during a Monday event about sustainable farming held at the U.S. Archives, the Deputy Agriculture Secretary (l) discussed the possibility of First Lady Michelle Obama's Kitchen Garden failing:
"Merrigan, who manages the Agriculture Department's "Know your farmer, know your food" program, joked at an event last night that when Sam Kass, the assistant White House chef who tends the garden, expressed concern about the visibility of the first lady's garden and the chance that it might fail during the first year, she told him, "That would be great. ...Then people would understand the kinds of challenges that farmers face."
The Kitchen Garden is visible to the thousands of tourists who walk along the fence line of the South Lawn each month, and is kept in meticulous shape by the US Park Service, which manages the White House grounds. There's been no crop failure: The garden produced about 2,600 pounds of vegetables this year, according to the White House.
Merrigan, Washington Whispers pointed out, "has since applauded the First Lady's gardening success for setting an example for families on basic planting."
Dinner with the President is the perfect holiday gift for family members, Obama Campaign advises... Update, Nov. 27:Campaign releases5 new videos from the first "Dinner with Barack" As President Obama was pardoning the National Thanksgiving Turkey on Wednesday morning, his 2012 Campaign operation sent out an e-mail to supporters, urging donations for the newly launched "Dinner with Barack" contest, the third sweepstakes offering an intimate dinner with the Eater in Chief. It was timed for Thanksgiving and holiday gift giving: The latest enticement for donors is that each contest winner can bring a guest. "Who do you want to meet the President?" asked Rufus Gifford, National Finance Director. (Above: A new logo for the contest)
"As you celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow, look around the table and ask yourself: Who would you bring?" wrote Gifford. "It's hard to think of a better gift for your parent, spouse, child, or best friend than the chance to accompany you to dinner with President Obama."
The donation ask was $3. The assigned retail value of the prize package has jumped from $1,075 for the first dinner, to $1,600 for the current dinner, which includes airfare and a hotel stay. President Obama has completed one "Dinner with Barack" event with donors; he dined last month at a Virginia restaurant with the four winners of the first contest.
"I'd bring my mom" to the dinner, Gifford wrote. The contest closes on December 31.
The e-mail had the subject heading ""Who do you want to meet the President?"
The text:
Friend --
We just launched our next Dinner with Barack contest, and this time there's a big new twist: Each winner can invite a guest.
So as you celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow, look around the table and ask yourself: Who would you bring?
It's hard to think of a better gift for your parent, spouse, child, or best friend than the chance to accompany you to dinner with President Obama.
To be automatically entered right now, make a donation of $3 or whatever you can today.
When you do, you'll be helping fund this campaign as we near a critical fundraising deadline at the end of the year -- just three days before voters in Iowa head to the caucus and the 2012 election formally kicks off.
President Obama wants to connect face to face with the people who are chipping in however they can to grow this campaign.
So this time we're asking the three people who win to bring along a guest: maybe your significant other, or the friend who first got you involved in this movement. I'd bring my mom.
Thanksgiving is a perfect time to start thinking about whom you'd pick.
So throw your hat in today with a gift of $3 -- and be automatically entered for Dinner with Barack:
https://donate.barackobama.com/Dinner
Thanks,
Rufus
Rufus Gifford National Finance Director Obama for America ##
Retail value of dinner with President has skyrocketed..and this time, the three winners can bring guests... Update, Nov. 27:Campaign releases5 new videos from the first "Dinner with Barack" The global economy may be in hot water, but the value of dinner with President Obama has gone up. In an effort to raise funds for the 2012 re-election campaign, President Obama is for the third time raffling himself off as a dinner date, he announced today in an e-mail to supporters. While the President is a cheap date--dinner can be had for just a $3 donation--the assigned retail value of the prize package has jumped from $1,075 for the first dinner, to $1,600 for the current dinner, which includes airfare and a one-night hotel stay. As an extra enticement for supporters, the contest is now two-for-one: Each winner can bring a companion. (Above: The new logo for the new dinner sweepstakes)
"We're taking names for the next dinner starting now, and this time I want to add a new feature: If you win, you can bring a guest," President Obama wrote.
This time there will be three dinner winners, rather than four, for a total of six guests sharing a meal with the President. It's proved to be a popular fundraiser, but the phrase "we're taking names" sounds a bit Orwellian, doesn't it? As he notes in his e-mail, the President dined on October 27th at a Virginia restaurant with the four winners of the first contest. He has yet to dine with the four winners of the second sweepstakes, and the Campaign has not released their names. The current contest closes for entries on Dec. 31. The prize is taxable, and no donation is *actually* needed to enter the contest.
The e-mail had the subject heading "You and a guest".
The text:
Friend--
A few Thursdays ago, I had dinner with four Americans named Ken, Casey, Juanita, and Wendi -- the winners of the campaign's first Dinner with Barack contest.
I loved getting to know each of them.
We're taking names for the next dinner starting now, and this time I want to add a new feature: If you win, you can bring a guest.
Chip in $3 or more today to be automatically entered to win a spot for you and a guest at the next dinner.
The folks who this election is all about tend to fall under the radar of the D.C. pundits and traditional news media.
They're people like Juanita, who helped put her three sons through college on a teacher's salary while saving what she could for retirement.
Like Ken, a single dad who stood by his mother as she fought insurance companies while battling two forms of cancer.
They're like Casey, whose three young kids may not yet appreciate what courage it took for their dad to take a chance and start his own business.
And Wendi, an artist and third-generation teacher who canvassed, marched, and phone banked in Indiana in 2008, the year her home state defied the traditional electoral map.
These people weren't just there for themselves -- they were representing you, this movement, and the folks I go to work for every day as president.
These dinners are important to me because I want to spend time whenever I can with the people who sent me here. They're proving wrong the conventional wisdom that says campaigns should cater to Washington lobbyists and powerful interests. And they're an important reminder that this movement -- and my presidency -- have never just been about me.
I'm proud that we're choosing to run the kind of campaign where a dinner like this isn't just possible, it's a regular thing. And next time, I don't just want to meet you -- I want to meet someone else in your life.
Donate $3 or more, and start thinking about who you'll invite to dinner:
White House-Walmart partnership is "delivering results," says CEO... Global grocery giant Walmart, First Lady Michelle Obama'slargest private sector partner for the Let's Move! campaign, put out a press release from the APEC summit in Honolulu, touting its partnership with the White House. CEO Scott Price attended the APEC CEO Summit, and the press release highlights two of the commitments Walmart has made to the Let's Move! campaign: Sourcing from local farmers and dropping prices for healthier foods. Price notes the two initiatives in the press release. (Above: Mrs. Obama toured an organic farm during her visit to Hawaii)
"In the U.S., in partnership with First Lady Michelle Obama's 'Let's Move' campaign, Walmart efforts to make food healthier and healthier food more affordable are delivering results," Price said. "It will save customers approximately $1 billion per year on fresh fruits and vegetables."
"Walmart's Direct Farm program procures directly from over 800,000 farmers, offering higher incomes for farmers and lower prices for customers," noted the release.
Walmart's drop in prices for consumers due to its Let's Move! commitment has not yet been tracked. The company has also pledged to build 275-300 stores in food deserts by 2016, to help Mrs. Obama reach the Let's Move! goal of eradicating all US food deserts by 2017.
The full press release:
HONOLULU, Nov. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Walmart Asia CEO Scott Price today reiterated Walmart's focus on contributing to the communities in which the Company does business in APEC economies. Price made the comments during the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit held in Honolulu, USA, Nov 11-14, 2011.
Price said, "Walmart is a strong contributor globally to the communities in which we operate and this is especially true in APEC economies. These include great examples in the U.S., China, Japan, Mexico and Chile. In the U.S., we announced a $2 billion commitment through 2015 to help end hunger in America. In China, we are working closely with the China Women's Development Foundation (CWDF) on poverty alleviation for women. Walmart's Direct Farm program procures directly from over 800,000 farmers, offering higher incomes for farmers and lower prices for customers."
Price continued, "In Japan we are committed to helping with the recovery efforts of the earthquake-affected region. We've committed well over $5 million to these efforts. We have just announced two new programs. One, in partnership with Save the Children to get children back into school, and the other with Mercy Corps to support women engaged in the harvesting of Wakame seaweed. We were also very active after the earthquake in Chile through a $1.9 million donation to provide emergency housing in different regions as well as to rebuild small businesses. In Canada, Walmart donated over CA$8 million as a key sponsor of the Children's Miracle Network that raises funds for children's hospitals across Canada. Finally, in Mexico, our Indigenous Product Commercialization Program, which offers training and funding to boost production processes of marginalized communities and indigenous groups living in isolated regions to improve their income and quality of life, was recognized by the United Nations Development Programme with its World Business and Development Award."
According to Price, these programs and their impact were possible only because of the collaboration between governments, the private sector and social sector.
"In most instances, high impact is possible because there is a strong alignment between the priorities of that government and the private sector. Both the U.S. and China have strong examples of this. In China, we have really benefitted from working closely with the China Women's Development Foundation (CWDF) on a key national priority – poverty alleviation of women," Price said. "The program is now in full execution and is making a big difference in the three pilot provinces in which we are working. In the U.S., in partnership with First Lady Michelle Obama's 'Let's Move' campaign, Walmart efforts to make food healthier and healthier food more affordable are delivering results. It will save customers approximately $1 billion per year on fresh fruits and vegetables."
"We want to be a part of the solution to a better life for the communities in which we operate. We want to work with governments and the social sector to ensure that," concluded Price.
A savory Autumn soup, perfect for Thanksgiving...Executive Chef Cris Comerford gave Nate Berkus, host of NBC's The Nate Berkus Show, a cooking lesson in the White House kitchen when he visited during the October 5th Fall Harvest of First Lady Michelle Obama's Kitchen Garden. Berkus interviewed Mrs. Obama (video here), toured the garden with Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food InitiativesSam Kass(video here), and then visited the kitchen, where Comerford showed him how to make Roasted Pumpkin Squash Soup. Thearomatic Autumn creation is garnished with sweet/spicy Pepitas (pumpkin seeds), a drizzle of Pumpkin Seed Oil, and Greek yogurt. The video of the cooking lesson shows all the steps. It also contains a glimpse of tasting dishes being prepared for Mrs. Obama for the menu for the Oct. 13th State Dinner for South Korea. The show aired on Monday. (Above: Comerford and Berkus at work)
While Comerford used small pumpkin squash for the soup during her lesson, she said that it is equally good with other squash varieties. "Any squash can be used," Comerford said, noting Acorn and Butternut as good swaps. The recipe calls for chicken stock, but vegetarian stock can be substituted. A blender is required, as is a mesh strainer for a less chunky soup.
Two other seasonal White House soup recipes: Click here for Broccoli Soup; and click here for a different version of Broccoli Soup. Check the sidebar for all other White House recipes.
Roasted Pumpkin Squash Soup with Candied Pepitas and Greek Yogurt
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Ingredients 1 ½ lbs Pumpkin Squash
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Vidalia onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic
1 Cup celery, diced
1 Cup carrot, peeled and diced
1 ½ Tsp paprika
1 sprig thyme
2 bay leaves
4 Cups chicken stock (vegetable stock can be substituted)
Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish ingredients 1 Cup Greek yogurt
Pumpkin Seed oil
½ cup Pumpkin seeds (Pepitas)
Espellette powder (Basque chili pepper powder)
Powdered sugar
Method for the soup 1. Cut the Pumpkin Squash in half and place it, cut side down on an oiled baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until it is easily pierced with a knife, about an hour.
2. Remove from oven and let Cool. Scoop the flesh out and discard the skin and seeds.
3. Warm the olive oil in a soup pot over a medium heat. Sweat the carrots, onion, celery and garlic until translucent, about five to ten minutes.
4. Add the dry spices and the aromatics. Add the Squash flesh and chicken stock.
5. Bring to a boil and simmer for about fifteen minutes. REMOVE Bay leaves and Thyme sprig if still intact.
6. Using a blender, puree in batches. For a less chunky soup, strain through a fine mesh.
3. Stir the mixture continuously until you hear a popping sound and the sugar starts to caramelize. Add salt and a dash of espellette powder, mix.
4. Cool.
To serve: Warm soup bowls, and pour in soup. Sprinkle Candied Pepitas into each bowl of soup, drizzle with Pumpkin Seed Oil, and top with a dollop of Greek yogurt.
PerezHilton.com has posted this video preview of First Lady Michelle Obama's upcoming appearance on Nickelodeon TV show "iCarly," which will air in January of 2012. Now known for her dance moves thanks to the Let's Move! campaign, the First Lady in the clip grooves to Maroon 5’s “Can’t Stop” with stars Miranda Cosgrove and Jennette McCurdy, as part of the show's "Random Dancing!" segment.
"Holy shiz! Michelle Obama really knows how to SHAKE IT!" wrote Hilton. "We are legitimately impressed, gurl..." As part of her Joining Forces campaign to support military families, Mrs. Obama filmed the episode in Los Angeles last June.
Teen TV stars from Nickelodeon joined Mrs. Obama in Washington, DC, in September for the Worldwide Day of Play event, where she announced a milestone for the PALA Challenge, a cornerstone of the Let's Move! campaign. Cosgrove, laid up with a broken ankle, was not at the event.
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
Caroline Kennedy and members of other First Families attend reception... President Obama and First Lady Obama have made plenty of White House history since 2009, from creating new policy to making bricks-and-mortar changes to the most famous address in America (not least of which is Mrs. Obama's Kitchen Garden). Today, the First Lady hosted an afternoon reception celebrating the 50th Anniversary of The White House Historical Association, which has played a crucial role in preserving the Presidential residence. Former First Daughter Caroline Kennedy and representatives from other First Families joined Mrs. Obama at the 3:30 PM event. (Above: Mrs. Obama and Kennedy wait in the Green Room before entering the reception to make remarks)
The reception was closed to press, though the non-profit organization, chartered in 1961, plays a vital role in educating the public about the White House, as well as recording its unique history. First Lady Jackie Kennedy was crucial to both restoring many parts of the White House and establishing the WHHA, which has published and distributed more than eight million books about the White House, as well as videos and other educational materials.
A special exhibit for the 50th Anniversary, "Something of Splendor," is devoted to Decorative Arts from the White House, and opened on Oct. 1 at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, located across the street from the White House campus. If you are visiting Washington, DC, the gorgeous exhibition is a must-see, with pieces on display that have never been outside of the Residence. It runs through May of 2012. Information is here.
"Thousands of schools, universities and libraries have received free educational materials about the White House, and traveling exhibits and videos are circulated to the presidential libraries and museums," noted the East Wing in its announcement of Mrs. Obama's reception.
From The Liberty Tavern: Details on the Presidential table talk, the menu, the very bad dessert decision, and the guest who named his child "Maxwell Barack"... Update, Nov. 27:Campaign releases5 new videos from the first "Dinner with Barack" The four citizens who won Obama for America's first "Dinner with Barack" contest dined with President Obamalast Thursday at The Liberty Tavern in Arlington, VA. The gang, all donors to the President's 2012 re-election effort, have spent the ensuing days dishing to media outlets about their heady, rare date with the Eater in Chief. The President's culinary comrades were, from left in the above photo Ken Knight of Chandler, Ariz; Wendi Smith of Croyden, Ind; CaseyHelbling of Minneapolis, Minn; and Juanita Martinez of Brighton, Colo. Each comes from a state that is crucial for the President's success in 2012.
All had to sign releases agreeing to be used in future Campaign promotions. Over the weekend, Campaign HQ put out the first "official" statements from the "lucky folks" ("wonderful!" "exciting!"). There was also a promise of "more from our Dinner with Barack winners in the coming weeks." But before the dishing, the menu.
The Liberty Tavern creates seasonal, regional American cuisine, and the casually dressed President Obama enjoyed the "Harpoon Caught Swordfish," which is regularly featured on the menu. It's served "Portuguese style," accompanied by white beans, sweet peppers, lamb sausage escarole, and Littleneck clam sauce ($22). He also had the Tavern Salad, which is field greens with breakfast radish and red wine vinaigrette ($6). No wine for the President: He washed down dinner with iced tea.
Executive Chef Liam LaCivita also created some Presidential treats that aren't on the menu: He kicked the dinner off with an Obama Foodie Homage, delivering a special appetizer of five mini Chicago-style Hot Dogs topped with the mandatory green relish. The President loves his Chicago Dogs: In July, he settled an NBA bet with a Univision reporter with a big box of the authentic goodies sent from Chicago to Miami headquarters. The Dogs were also featured at the annual White House Congressional Picnic in 2010.
Dinner winners decline dessert... The foursome, astonishingly, declined the President's offer of dessert, apparently not realizing that this would extend their time with Mr. Obama. The rapid-fire dinner was just 70 minutes long, a quickie for a President who frequently has dinners outside the White House that last two to three hours. Mr. Obama arrived at the restaurant at 6:48 PM and was rolling homeward in his motorcade by 7:58 PM. Helbling, the Minneapolis winner, publicly bemoaned the bad decision on Twitter. (Above: Helbling and the President)
"The president offered us dessert at the end of the meal... None of us wanted it-what was I thinking! #DinnerWithBarack," Helbling tweeted.
"We got back in the van and all of us were kicking ourselves and probably will for the rest of our lives," Helbling later told US News & World Report. "We couldn't believe it; we had all turned down dessert with Barack Obama."
The dinner conversation... Helbling, a tech entrepreneur who runs a company called Software for Good, is such a big Obama enthusiast that he named one of his children "Maxwell Barack," he said, and revealed that the dinner conversation focused on "critical veterans, education, and economic issues." In his statement for BarackObama.com, he said the dinner "really blows your mind when you think about it."
Perhaps that's because the President revealed some deep secrets about White House life?
"I learned Obama's not a real early riser; he gets up at seven and then goes to the gym before reporting to the office," Helbling told USNWR. "And, he is rarely awaken from sleep for emergencies. The last time he had to go to the situation room in the middle of the night was when the Japanese earthquake was going on."
"The most memorable part was when he talked about his day & at 630 going upstairs to have dinner w/Michelle and kids. I could relate," (sic) was another tweet from Helbling.
Helbling also tweeted about the dinner to his hometown chief, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, who not uncoincidentally, since Minnesota is a crucial electoral state, was last week one of the eight Mayors invited to attend First Lady Obama'sfood desert summit in Chicago.
"He was very thankful for your early support!" Helbling tweeted to Rybak, and also tweeted "tonight at #DinnerWithBarack President Obama mentioned how great of a guy you are!"
"Cool!" the Mayor tweeted back, and asked what the President ate.
Mr. Obama tossed his own tweet into the mix after the dinner.
"This dinner is important because I'm only president thanks to the work of millions of Americans like the four I just met. —BO," the President wrote on @BarackObama.
A big security detail... Ken Knight, 48, of Chandler, Arizona, is a mail carrier with a route in Tempe, and it was his mother's $10 donation in his name that got him to the dinner, he told Arizona Central. Knight said he was worried that his "colorful past" might kill his chances of meeting the President. The dinner winners had to pass background checks, and Knight said he is a recovering alcoholic, almost five years sober, and "admits to past use of a few illegal substances that he feared would negatively influence the Campaign's decision about selecting him."
Nope: Knight, who bills himself as extremely liberal and a longtime Obama supporter, got in. The President and his guests ate in an upstairs dining room in the restaurant, and unlike at many other Presidential dinners, there were no other patrons present. There were, however, many members of the President's security detail.
"There were dozens of Secret Service, but they made it really calm and casual for us. It wasn't as crazy as you might think. It was a lot of fun," Knight told Arizona's KTAR radio.
Still, Knight was dubious when he first got the call from Campaign officials saying that he'd won, which occurred in July.
"They said they needed to run a background check and asked for my Social Security number and birth date," Knight said. "I thought it was a scam. They spent the next 10 minutes trying to convince me of who they where." He finally set his suspicions aside and gave them his information.
The Dinner Winners' statements put out by Campaign HQ... There was no "official statement" released from Knight, but the three other winners were quoted as follows on BarackObama.com, which titled the blogpost "This Is The President Of The United States Sitting Next to Me." (Above: The surprisingly low res photo tweeted by Campaign HQ)
Juanita Martinez, who is a retired teacher: "It was wonderful, delicious, exciting. I don’t have the words. I had the swordfish, and they had the best dinner rolls. The President was so eager to meet us. He asked about our states and our families. Every now and then I had to take a moment and think, ‘This is the President of the United States sitting next to me.’"
Wendi Smith, who is a retired professor and artist: "It was wonderful. There was all this anticipation, and the whole day was spent in preparation for our dinner, so all of us were anxious and excited and our heart rates were way up there. But he came in and was just so wonderful at making us feel relaxed and calming us down. In the first few minutes we all went 'Oh, okay, we can do this.' He introduced himself to all of us and really listened to what we had to say. He made sure each one of us got to say something. He was very humble and modest and just exactly the guy I thought he was."
Casey Helbling: "He was a little shorter than I was expecting—I was expecting him to be really really tall for some reason. He was really charming and easy to talk to. And it was like we were just having a normal dinner, just a couple people sitting around a table having a meal talking about the issues. We were joking that it would have been a totally different vibe if we had just gone to the White House and met him in his office. We were completely wide open on questions—we could ask whatever we wanted. It was cool and down to earth, but he’s still the President—so it really blows your mind when you think about it."
The dinner fulfilled the first of two dinner contests held to drop cash into the President's 2012 war chest, and Thursday was the first time the names of the winners were revealed. Though the contest's Official Rules stated that their names would be posted online in July, it never happened; the Campaign ignored its own rules. The dinner was supposed to be "Dinner with Barack and Joe," and include Vice President Joe Biden, but on Thursday he was leading a Presidential Delegation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a condolence trip that was scheduled after the Crown Prince died. The Campaign promised that Biden would telephone the four winners.
The date of the second dinner has yet to be announced.
An AP video, shot during the less than 50 seconds the President's press pool was allowed in to observe the proceedings, before any food or drink was served:
The prize was worth $1,075... In addition to the dinner, the winners received a round-trip coach-class airfare and one night's hotel stay as part of the prize. The Campaign pegged the "approximate retail value" of the package at $1,075, with the meal priced at $100, airfare at $700, and the hotel stay at $275. This is taxable income for the winners under IRS rules.
*Top photo by Getty-pool; second by Photo by Obama for America; Helbling photo by AP
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'smorning 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 toldChicago 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.
President's four dinner companions came fromstates crucial to 2012 election... Update, Nov. 27:Campaign releases5 new videos from the first "Dinner with Barack" Update, Oct. 31:The menu & the winnersdish on their group date with the President On Thursday evening, President Obama spent about 70 minutes at The Liberty Tavern in the Clarendon neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia, with the four lucky winners of the "Dinner with Barack"contest, who flew in from around the US to claim their prizes. They arrived by motorcade at the Halloween-decorated restaurant at 6:48 PM for the outing that fulfilled the first of two Campaign contests in which the President raffled himself off as a dinner date to raise funds for his 2012 war chest. (Above: The President with the winners, from L Knight, Smith, Helbling, and Martinez)
"This dinner is important because I'm only president thanks to the work of millions of Americans like the four I just met. —BO," the President tweeted on the @BarackObama account after the dinner.
The dinner was for the contest that ran during the second fundraising quarter, April-June, and helped boost donations from more than 475,000 supporters and raise $33.2 million for the period. Each guest came from a state crucial to the 2012 re-election, and each represented an issue the President has been focusing on in recent months: Juanita Martinez is a retired teacher from Brighton, Colorado; Casey Helbling is an entrepreneur and small-business owner from Minneapolis; Ken Knight is a U.S. postal worker from Chandler, Arizona; and Wendi Smith is a retired professor and artist from Corydon, Indiana. Arizona is the only state the President lost in 2008.
Clad casually in khaki slacks and a light blue shirt, his sleeves rolled back, Mr. Obama and his four companions sat around a dark wood table in the upstairs room of the Tavern, which serves seasonal, American regional cuisine with a focus on artisanal, in-house creations. Entree prices range from $19-$25. The President's press pool was ushered in for a photo op before any food or beverages were served. No other "regular" patrons were in the room, but there was plenty of staff on hand.
Knight, the federal employee, was overheard telling the President about himself, and mentioning Michael Jordan, a reference at which the President smiled. Smith, the professor, was heard telling the President that her hometown is in southern Indiana, and was the first capital of the state, which seemed to surprise Mr. Obama. There was also chit-chat about the Chicago White Sox, Mr. Obama's favorite baseball team.
"#DinnerwithBarack just became Dinner with Barack, Ken, Casey, Wendi, and Juanita: pic.twitter.com/rZKfj2Gi," @BarackObama tweeted; the photo was grainy, and followed by another equally low-res image, "just for good measure," according to the second tweet.
The President has never previously dined at the eatery, but the First Lady may have managed to sneak in for an "incognito" meal at some point. In order to attend the dinner, each guest had to undergo a background check, and sign documents agreeing that their image, etc., could be used by the Campaign in future promotional materials. Today was the first time the names of the winners were revealed, though the contest's Official Rules stated that their names would be posted online in July; the Campaign ignored its own rules.
The President's motorcade arrived at approximately 6:48 PM. By 7:58 PM, the group was departing in the motorcade, which arrived back at the White House at 8:04 PM. (Above: A blurry post-dinner photo tweeted by @BarackObama shows wine and ice tea on the table; the press had already been dismissed)
An AP video, shot during the 50 seconds the President's press pool was allowed in to observe the proceedings:
The prize was worth $1,075... In addition to the dinner, the winners received a round-trip coach-class airfare and one night's hotel stay as part of the prize. The Campaign pegged the "approximate retail value" of the package at $1,075, with the meal priced at $100, airfare at $700, and the hotel stay at $275. This is taxable income for the winners under IRS rules.
Vice President didn't attend, but will telephone the winners... Vice President Joe Biden was supposed to attend the dinner; midway through the fundraising quarter, the contest was changed to "Dinner with Barack and Joe" to entice more donors, a change the President himself announced in a video. But Biden on Thursday was leading a 7-member Presidential Delegation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a condolence trip that was scheduled after the Crown Prince died last week in New York. The Campaign promised he would telephone the four winners.
The President will dine at a later date with four more donors from the Campaign's second gustatory contest, the "Dinner with Barack II" sweepstakes, held during fundraising quarter 3, July-September. In an interview in September, Campaign Deputy Press Secretary Katie Hogan told Obama Foodorama that there was no way to determine how many donors actually gave money in order to be entered in the dinner contests; she said that donations for the dinner contests were not specifically tracked. Entering the contests without donating was possible, too.
Thursday's dinner took place a day after President Obama returned from a three-day fundraising swing through Las Vegas, Nevada; San Francisco and Los Angeles, California; and the snowy Denver, Colorado. He headlined six fundraisers, including one at the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas, and one at the Hollywood home of actors Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas. The trip also included an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and a stop at Roscoe's House of Chicken n' Waffles in Los Angeles.
The dinner donations... There was a big push for donations for both dinners, but especially for the third quarter fundraiser, with plenty of e-mail requests from Campaign staffers, as well as multiple e-mails from the President and two fromFirst Lady Michelle Obama, who suggested that winners "relax" and enjoy themselves with "Barack."
"Not everyone knows how to prepare for a dinner like this," Mrs. Obama wrote. "I want to tell you the one thing to do if you're selected to join him...Just relax. Barack wants this dinner to be fun, and he really loves getting to know supporters like you."
On Sept. 30, the deadline for the third quarter, OFA created a new video to woo donations, down to $3 as the baseline ask. The video was shot during President Obama's luncheon with Campaign volunteers at Ted's Bulletin restaurant in Washington, DC on August 10th. It was the last time he dined with winners of a campaign contest:
More on The Liberty Tavern... The Executive Chef is Liam LaCivita; "the culinary team is committed to in-house production, including handcrafted breads, pastas, sausages, ice creams, and desserts," notes the website. "High-quality ingredients are diligently sourced, including Hereford beef, Duroc pork, and award-winning American artisan cheeses." Prices for entrees range between $19-$25, with appetizers going for $11-$16. The wine and beer selection is large.
"The @LibertyTavernVA was honored to host President Barack Obama for dinner this evening!" the restaurant tweeted after the President departed.
Information:The Liberty Tavern is located at 3195 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201. Phone: (703) 465-9360.
Design master has "exclusive interview" with First Lady... First Lady Michelle Obama, Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives Sam Kass, and Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford will all be featured on NBC daytimer "The Nate Berkus Show" on Monday, Nov. 7, the production company announced today. It's the first time all have been on the show. Berkus is an interior designer beloved by Obama pal Oprah Winfrey, who produces the show, and he 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 in action during the event)
Berkus has an "exclusive interview" about healthy eating with Mrs. Obama: "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 publicity announcement.
Berkus tours the White House Kitchen Garden with Kass, and then visits the kitchen for a lesson in healthy cooking from Comerford. It's part of the pre-launch for Mrs. Obama'sforthcoming book, "American Grown."
The episode announcement has plenty of exclamation points:
"Nate makes a trip to the most recognized home in America to pay a visit to First Lady Michelle Obama in a daytime television exclusive! He joins the First Lady to celebrate the White House's "Fall Harvest Festival" and teach viewers how they can fill their homes, backyards and kitchens with healthy food for their families.
First up, a tour of the White House vegetable garden only for Nate's viewers with Assistant White House Chef, Sam Kass – get the inside scoop about what's on the First Family's dinner plates and how everyone at home can start their own gardens, too.
Next, the White House's longtime Executive Chef, Cristeta Comerford, spends time with Nate in the White House kitchen – learn how to cook a meal that's fit for the First Family! Then, 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!" ##
"Diwali is a time for gathering with family and friends and—celebrating with good food and dancing"... President Obama issued greetings for the sacred holiday of Diwali today, wishing "Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists" around the globe who mark the festival of lights "Happy Diwali and Saal Mubarak." The President has marked Diwali each year he's been in the White House. Last year, the President and First Lady Obama also celebrated Diwali during their trip to India, visiting a school in Mumbai to join kids for candle lighting and dancing. (Above: The President and Mrs. Obama light candles in Mumbai)
In 2009, the President hosted the first-ever White House Diwali reception, where he lit a Diya to the chanted prayer of a Hindu priest who oversees a temple in Maryland. The President also offered sweet treats in silk boxes to his guests. Mr. Obama notes both celebrations in this year's Diwali greeting:
"I was proud to be the first President to mark Diwali and light the Diya at the White House, and last year Michelle and I were honored to join in Diwali celebrations during our visit to India."
The President's full 2011 Diwali message:
"Today, here in America and around the world, Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists will celebrate the holiday of Diwali – the festival of lights. Many who observe this holiday do so by lighting the Diya, or lamp, which symbolizes the victory of light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance. I was proud to be the first President to mark Diwali and light the Diya at the White House, and last year Michelle and I were honored to join in Diwali celebrations during our visit to India.
Diwali is a time for gathering with family and friends and—as we experienced in India—celebrating with good food and dancing. It is also a time for contemplation and prayer that serves as a reminder of our obligations to our fellow human beings, especially the less fortunate. To all who are observing this sacred holiday here and around the world, Happy Diwali and Saal Mubarak."
In Mumbai at the Diwali celebration, the President gave up on the dancing after a few awkward tries, and instead sat down and watched Mrs. Obama groove with the girls (above).
"Outstanding," the President commented.
"Damage done," the press pooler on duty joked via e-mail to the rest of the WH press corps about the President's attempt to dance. "Great film."
A video of President Obama at the 2009 White House Diwali celebration:
*Photos by Pete Souza/White House, taken on Nov. 7, 2010, at Holy Name High School in Mumbai, India.
Chicago leads the way in improving access to healthy food with corporate support for farmers markets and local agriculture... By Marian Burros Chicago, Ill - Michelle Obama was back home on Tuesday, her first public visit to Chicago since entering the White House. For the occasion she chose the South Side of the city where she was raised. The First Lady brought two other Chicagoans with her, first to Walgreens in the Chatham section and then to the 7-acre Iron Street Urban Farm, located in what was once a truck depot: Mayor Rahm Emanuel, lately White house chief of staff, and Sam Kass, who went to Washington to cook for the Obamas, and ended up as the point man on the First Lady's childhood obesity initiative, Let’s Move! (Above: Emanuel and Mrs. Obama visiting Iron Street Urban Farm)
It was a full day for Emanuel, who had gathered together mayors from eight cities for a food desert summit to exchange ideas about ways to bring healthy and affordable foods into communities that lack access. Emanuel and Kass met with the mayors for amorning roundtable discussionheld at Iron Street, and continued the discussion over a locally sourced organic lunch at mk The Restaurant. Mrs. Obama closed their convivium with remarks at the Walgreens store.
“This Mayor’s Summit today is just an important step towards what we hope will be a national effort across this country for mayors and cities and towns," Mrs. Obama said. "It is you who are setting the tone for what this country can do for our children and families.”
The First Lady's visit was sandwiched between a midday campaign fundraiser in Detroit and an evening fundraiser in Chicago, where she spoke about her husbands' efforts to create jobs. The trip on behalf of her own signature initiative also proved to be about putting people to work as much as it was about giving the disadvantaged access to fresh healthy food. Both Mrs. Obama and Emanuel emphasized the connection between getting healthy food to inner city populations and the creation of jobs and economic opportunities.
If Mayors across the US decide that building supermarkets and encouraging urban agriculture is vital to their communities, America will be transformed, Mrs. Obama said: "Think about all the jobs that would be created."
Chicago's private-sector agreements for food deserts... In June, the newly elected Emanuel called together the CEOs of Walmart, Walgreens; Aldi and Roundy and the parent companies of Jewel and Dominick markets and providing them with maps of Chicago showing where food deserts exist. He promised them a fast track to build stores in underserved areas. (Above: The First Lady during her remarks at Walgreens)
Emanuel asked Mrs. Obama to come to Chicago for his announcement of some very good news: Three dozen stores have agreed to open or to retrofit their current stores in some of Chicago’s food deserts, bringing fifty jobs per store or about 1,800 new jobs.
There was more good news: With a $150,000 combined commitment from Kraft Foods Foundation and Safeway Foundation, Chicago will pilot up to five new farmers markets in food deserts on Chicago's west side over the next two years. The markets will feature local growers selling produce, accept LINK cards, and offer creative programming like cooking demonstrations and nutrition education. Walgreens and Aldo’s have agreed to buy local food raised by Iron Street Urban Farm and other urban agriculture projects.
At the Walgreens, Emanuel addressed the First Lady as 'Michelle' as he thanked her for her help in bringing the problems of underserved neighborhoods to national attention. Details of commitments Emanuel has gotten from grocers to build markets in Chicago food deserts are here.
“Thank you for bringing together all the policies you focused on, turning blight into economic opportunity, Michelle," Emanuel said. "Thank you for your leadership.”
Mrs. Obama has gotten a similar private sector commitment on the national level: In July, she announced agreements with Walgreens, Walmart, SuperValu, Calhoun Grocers and Shoprite to build or expand 1,500 stores in food deserts, which will create what the White House says is "tens of thousands of jobs." The project will also bring healthier food to about 9.5 million of the 23.5 million people living in food deserts, according to the White House. Mrs. Obama's goal of eliminating the estimated 6,500 US food deserts by 2017 can "absolutely" be achieved, according to Sam Kass.
For her part, Mrs. Obama thanked her “dear friend and Chicago’s mayor,” adding that she was still getting used to his title, to which he responded loud enough to be heard: “So am I.”
Mrs. Obama said that even as she grew up in Chicago, small grocery stores were disappearing.
“We can talk all we want about making healthy choices about the food we serve our kids, but the truth is if parents don’t have anywhere to buy these foods, then all of that is really just talk," she said.
The First Lady spoke at Walgreens because it is already providing food in what was once a typical modern drugstore. Now it has a food section that includes not just apples, pears and bananas, but baby watermelons, peaches pears, mangos, cut up fruits including cantaloupe, berries and bagged salad, eggs, orange juice, sandwiches, salads, frozen and fresh dinners. In the next five years the company expects to retrofit 1,000 more of its 8,000 stores across the country.
“It’s been unbelievable for the bottom line,” said Joe Magnacca, president of the daily living products and solutions for Walgreens.
Prices are not as low as at a full-service supermarket but for some the trip to a supermarket requires a bus or taxi ride.
First Lady tours Iron Street Urban Farm.. From the store Mrs. Obama traveled to Iron Street Urban Farm, the site of the Mayors' morning meeting. The lush facility is run by Erika Allen, who grew up on a farm working alongside her father, Will Allen, who calls himself "the chief executive farmer" of Growing Power in Milwaukee. It has a two-pronged agenda: To eliminate food deserts and give local residents an opportunity to work. The Chicago farm is one of five Growing Power sites in Chicago. (Above: Mrs. Obama and Emanuel inside a hoop house at the farm with the Allens, standing)
Erika Allen has a masters in art therapy, but she discovered that before anything else “people need good food to eat.”
As dynamic as her father, who has a MacArthur genius award, in a year she has gotten the sustainable farm up and running in a desolate industrial neighborhood. The farm teaches people, many of whom have never held jobs, how to work as it raises vegetables and herbs 12 months a year, under hoop houses and indoors. It will shortly be raising tilapia in water that has been used first to raise crops.
Emanuel and Mrs. Obama took a lengthy tour of the farm with both Allens, and she seemed particularly intrigued by the compost piles, the result of many worms doing their job. One of the workers presented her with a worm to examine and it was obvious Mrs. Obama has had her hands in soil before: She didn’t flinch as she picked it up (above).
"It's alive!" Mrs. Obama said.
For Erika Allen, the First Lady’s visit “validates what we are doing.”
Allen said that without the changes Emanuel made in local laws, Growing Power would not have been able to stay in business. In July, he introduced an ordinance to the City Council, making urban agriculture a new zoning designation. Now urban gardens can be as large as 25,000 square feet; parking and fencing requirements on larger commercial farms have been relaxed. Hydroponics and aquaponics are now permitted, even the raising of honeybees in certain circumstances. The changes eliminate a lot of red tape.
Will Allen joined Mrs. Obama at the White House on the day she launched Let's Move!; urban agriculture and improving food access has been on the First Lady's mind since the start of her childhood obesity initiative. In September, Walmart, Mrs. Obama's largest corporate partner for Let's Move!, awarded Growing Power a $1 million grant.
During the Mayors’ summit, the change in zoning regulations was one of the ideas that struck the fancy of several attendees, including Heather McTeer, Mayor of Greenville, Miss, and Manuel Lozano of Badwin Park, Ca. Mayor McTeer said her city would love to have Walgreens sell fresh food in its stores. Mayor Lozano is now running unopposed for his 8th term, despite the fact that under his direction the city took all sodas and sports drinks out of vending machines it owns, and placed a six-month moratorium on building fast food restaurants.
There is a serious obesity epidemic in both of the cities.
“It’s encouraging to see so much happening,” said McTeer. “Everyone is taking the First Lady’s initiative very seriously.”
*Click here for the transcript of Mrs. Obama's remarks at the Walgreens. Emanuel's press release on the summit is here.
*Top and third photo by Getty; second via Mayor Emanuel's office; other photo by AP
Partnership for a Healthier America's two-day childhood obesity summit begins Tuesday; includes Great American Family Dinner Challenge...
enior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives Sam Kass is also a featured participant at the Summit. Kass will serve as the emcee for The Great American Family Dinner Challenge on Tuesday night, a cooking exhibition that will pit two teams of James Beard Award-winning chefs against each other to create a fabulous dinner on a Food Stamps budget. The chefs--Tom Colicchio and Maria Hines vs. Holly Smith and Ming Tsai--will have $10 of ingredients and just thirty minutes to dazzle the judges, who are two sets of "real" parents. (Kass, above)
