Iron Chef is playing in Michelle Obama’s garden and we think it’s just swell!

The popular Food Network program has taped a special episode using produce from the White House garden to help promote local and organic food. The episode will also feature Mrs. Obama discussing her crusade to reduce childhood obesity through better school lunches, community gardens, farmers’ markets and exercise.

Mario Batali, perhaps not the most health-conscious man in America, told the New York Times:

“What’s exciting for us is this is the first time I can remember the White House taking an active interest in doing something about diet and health. They understand this kind of P.R.”

He continued, “If we don’t do something about how kids eat soon, it will be simply the largest problem facing this country.”

The show will premiere Jan. 3 on the Food Network, with Cristeta Comerford, the White House executive chef, and Bobby Flay going up against the combined forces of Mario Batali and Emeril Lagasse.

Get ready to get your vegetables on!

via: NYTimes.com
photocredit: NYTimes.com

Earlier this week we told you Michelle Obama would be making a guest appearance on the premiere of Sesame Street’s 40th Season — and now, video has been released giving us a glimpse of her gardening tips for kids.

As the Vegetarian Star points out, TIME magazine has a hilarious take on the First Lady’s appearance on the show saying that she’s doing it only to “continue to spread her radical/Marxist/fascist message about planting gardens and eating vegetables.” Well done.

Michelle Obama is set to visit Sesame Street yet again! Earlier this year, the First Lady appeared in a PSA with Elmo promoting healthy living. Now, drawing on experiences at home in the White House garden, Obama will teach the furry “residents” of Sesame Street about the benefits of growing veggies and healthy living. She will also show children how to plant tomato, cucumber and lettuce seeds.

“All these seeds need to grow are sun, soil and water. If you eat these healthy foods, you’re going to grow up to be big and strong, like me,” the First Lady says. “I know you’re going to like these vegetables, because in addition to being healthy, they really taste great!”

In addition to home gardening, the new season will also kick off a new two-year science initiative called “My World is Green & Growing.” Additional celebrities slated to make appearances include actresses Cameron Diaz, Eva Longoria-Parker, UK comedian Ricky Gervais and basketball star Kobe Bryant.

The 40th season of Sesame Street premieres November 10th.

via Reuters

In a newly released video from the White House, Michelle Obama takes us behind-the-scenes of the First Family’s vegetable garden. As The Huffington Post relates, Mrs. Obama also makes historic statements about the importance of food, healthy eating, family meals, instilling children with lessons about food choices, and even more boldly, changing the way America eats. In addition, there’s a brilliant time-lapse video showing just how well the garden came together — which should finally quiet all those “veggie-conspiracy theorists” Have a look at the roughly 8-minute clip below:

Vogue is wondering whether Michelle Obama’s organic White House garden (which had its first harvest this week) may have been an inspiration to the Queen — especially as the two women have grown close with multiple visits over the past few months. Either way — how cool is it to have so many families doing the same thing? I can’t remember a year when “home gardening” was such a buzz word.

But back to Michelle Obama’s garden — Matt Drudge, editor of the blog Drudge Report, earlier this week accused the First Lady of “faking” her vegetable garden — saying there’s no way she could have harvested plants that fast. Seriously? We’re now going after the White House garden?

Thankfully, one conservative stepped in to set Drudge straight saying that a little googling on the growth rate of Michelle’s plants would have saved him from “making a complete ass out of himself.”

Happy growing!

While addressing a crowd at the United Nations in New York yesterday, Michelle Obama let drop that she had just appeared on Sesame Street. And she was absolutely giddy from the experience. “I’m thrilled to be here, but I was just at ‘Sesame Street’ — I’m sorry,” the First Lady said. “And I never thought I’d be on ‘Sesame Street’ with Elmo and Big Bird and I was thrilled. I’m still thrilled. I’m on a high.”

Michelle taped the PSA as part of Sesame Workshop’s Healthy Habits For Life Initiative. Mrs. Obama and longtime Sesame Street resident Elmo chatted about the importance of eating right, exercising regularly, and being a healthy and positive role model for kids.

“I think it’s probably the best thing I’ve done so far in the White House. But we were there talking about nutrition and healthy eating, and it’s just been a thrill.”

Look for the PSA to come out soon.

The White House flickr stream provided this amusing photo of President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama participating in tree plantings at the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in Washington on April 21st. Based on Michelle Obama’s look, our President probably should have considered wearing something a bit more appropriate for tree planting.

Photo credit: Pete Souza

“A garden like this is one of those small gestures that is powerfully symbolic,” Michael Pollan, author of Omnivores Dilemma told ABC News. “At a time of economic crisis, a garden can provide a surprisingly large amount of fresh, healthy produce,” Pollan said. “But just as important, it teaches important habits of mind — helping people to reconnect with their food, eat more healthily on a budget and recognize that we’re less dependent on the industrial food chain, and cheap fossil fuel, than we assume.”

Even though the White House has grown herbs and had a small rooftop garden, this will be the first true garden on the actual grounds in many decades. “It just tells you that this country cares about people’s good health and about the care of the land,” California chef Alice Waters said. “To have this sort of ‘victory’ garden, this message goes out that everyone can grow a garden and have free food.”

Go White House! Next on our wish list: solar panels! Bring ‘em back!

On last night’s The Office, Scranton-branch Manager Michael Scott offered to donate money to a charity that Dwight Schrute doesn’t like as compensation for a failed safety exercise. Dwight softly muttered “PETA” as his charity of choice. I guess Dwight’s displeasure with bears – or basically anything with fur – is probably enough of a reason for him to have a beef with the animal rights organization. Expect a protest down at Schrute Farms shortly. Watch the full episode here.

Michelle Obama’s preferred fashion designer, Jason Wu, has certainly risen to fame quickly for his gowns for the First Lady. So what can we expect from him in the future? Fur. Ugh. “I’m doing a significant fur collection, and the message will be all about luxury,” he revealed to The Daily. “Fashion is also sort of escapism, and women need beautiful dresses to lose themselves in.” I won’t disagree on making beautiful dresses — but why ruin such a high-profile rise to stardom with a line of fur clothing? Even more interesting to see is whether or not Michelle Obama will shun Wu for this dumb move. [Read more...]

Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi – who got married last August – threw a star-studded joint birthday party at their Beverly Hills house on Saturday. Even though the two aren’t the same age (Ellen is 51 and Portia is 36), their bdays are only a few days apart. Of course, as expected, guests were treated to a lavish all-vegan meal — as well as tunes spun by DJ Samantha Ronson. In attendance were Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox and her husband David Arquette, Drew Barrymore, Sacha Baron Cohen and Ben Stiller.