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Earl Wilson

"Success is simply a matter of luck. Ask any failure."

Today: Watch the Kids’ “State Dinner” Live!

Posted by:

Kelly Miterko, Deputy Associate Director, Let's Move!

We are so excited the Kids’ “State Dinner” is finally here! Today, the fifty-five Healthy Lunchtime Challenge winners will arrive to the White House to attend the fourth annual Kids’ “State Dinner.” Tune in to see the event live from the White House!

We’ll be interviewing the kid chefs to learn about the inspiration behind their dishes, hearing remarks from the First Lady, and viewing a special performance by the cast of Disney’s Tony Award-winning hit musical, Aladdin. It is sure to be a fun day!

We hope you’ll watch and follow along on social media using #KidsStateDinner.

Tune in starting at 10:00 am to catch all the action as the winners arrive to the White House!

Hannah Foley, from Pennsylvania, and First Lady Michelle Obama pose for a photo at the Kids' State Dinner in the East Room of the White House, July 18, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)

Want more from this year's Kids' "State Dinner?"

• View the list of 2015 Kids' "State Dinner" Winners and try out their delicious recipes!
• Go behind the scenes and check out the judging of this year’s Healthy Lunchtime Challenge

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Behind the Scenes: Selecting the Winning Recipes for the 2015 Kids’ “State Dinner”

Posted by:

Kelly Miterko, Deputy Associate Director, Let's Move!

This Friday, fifty-five budding young chefs will make their way to the White House for the fourth annual Kids' "State Dinner."

With nearly one thousand entries submitted to this year’s Healthy Lunchtime Challenge, the fifty-five winning recipes were selected based on their healthfulness, taste, originality, affordability, and following USDA’s MyPlate recommendations. Our panel of judges tasted the two finalist recipes from each state, four territories, and the District of Columbia, and they were extremely impressed with the incredible recipes that kids cooked up this year!

Go behind the scenes and see how this year's delicious winning creations were chosen:

You can find the complete list of winning recipes here, and we hope you’ll be inspired to head into the kitchen and whip up some of these creative dishes at home with your family! There is something for everyone to enjoy, from the "Mediterranean Rockin’ Roasted Vegetables in Cool Cucumber Boats" to the “California Rainbow Taco with Mic-Kale Obama Slaw and Barack-amole.”

Don't forget to tune in here to watch the event live this Friday, July 10. You can also follow along on social media using #KidsStateDinner.

A Running Vacation Rebooted My Spirit

"These runs just aren't doing it for me anymore," I griped to my husband after finishing my usual four-mile trail. For months, I hadn't felt the exhilaration I once did. Worse, my weight had begun to creep up, along with anxiety and insomnia.

"Maybe you should start cycling again," Gordon said.

"But I like to run," I responded. "It's my thing, like triathlons are yours."

"Then sign up for a half marathon," he suggested, "to push your mileage."

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"Ugh." I'd given up competition years before, when I realized it sucked the joy out of running. Still, I felt an uncomfortable pang at my resistance to trying a new activity. There was a time when I had been up for anything: backpacking through the Austrian Alps, canoeing in the remote Canadian wilderness. Where had that fearless woman gone?

A few days later, Gordon came home with a grin on his face and announced, "I have just the thing to get you out of your exercise rut—a four-day running vacation in Spain!" Excited, I visited the website of the tour company, Running and Trekking Costa Brava, and stopped cold. Each day would include 11 to 15 miles of running, with hundreds of feet of climbing and steep descents. I'd never even finished more than eight miles at once. I could feel a knee-jerk no forming in my mind, along with the reasons: too difficult, too scary. "Sign us up," I blurted, before I could talk myself out of it.

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I trained for 12 weeks, pushing my mileage with each outing. By the time we arrived in Girona, Spain, and met up with the tour group—five avid runners, most of whom were younger than me by at least a decade—my legs were significantly stronger, and there was less squishy flesh around my waist. My mind, however, was in worry overdrive: What if my slower pace drags the group down? What if I embarrass myself? What if I fail?

The first morning, we set off on a narrow single track that traversed upward through a forest of cork trees. Within minutes, Gordon and I fell behind, and it wasn't his fault. Distracted by distress over feeling slow, old and unfit, I tripped on a tree root and fell hard, scraping flesh off my left elbow and bloodying my knee.

Dabbing at the wounds, I felt tears of self-doubt and discouragement pooling. Back home, I had created a life structured around things I was good at: writing, raising our sons, being part of our community. For the first time in a long while, I was out of my comfort zone. My ego felt as raw and exposed as my oozing elbow.

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I pushed on, though, and we arrived at a breathtaking promontory, the gem-bright sea in front of us. "Can you believe we're here?" asked a crazy-fit woman, throwing her arms around me. I couldn't. Relief flooded through me. No one cares if I'm slow! Look where I am!

For too long, I had carefully avoided activities that challenged my competence, from a hip-hop class to a speaking engagement. I'd thought my fitness routine was in a rut. In reality, it was my mind-set that was stuck.

Over the next three days, we covered miles of difficult terrain; I went at a comfortable pace at the rear of the pack. The running never felt easy, but it never felt impossible, either—and that made me proud.

Standing atop a 2,200-foot mountain on the last day, I gazed down at the miles of trail we'd climbed. I felt strong, confident—almost invincible. I pulled out my phone to take a photo and saw a text from a bookstore owner back home, inviting me to read an essay at an event. Public speaking is my biggest fear, period. Ordinarily, I'd say no as fast as my fingers could type. Instead I replied, "Sure, happy to do it." And I meant it.

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Couscous Salad with Chicken, Artichoke, and Lemon Skewers and Tangy Texas Tzatziki

Posted by:

Jianna Garcia

“I was inspired to make this as I love eating healthy, and I especially love any salad, more than chips and soda,” says Jianna. “Greek food is also one of my very favorites. I love how the flavors of the couscous, parsley, feta, and fresh veggies combine with my Lemon-Honey Vinaigrette. By adding delicious Chicken Skewers and Texas Tzatziki, I turned this already scrumptious salad into a super fresh, healthy, and very tasty meal.” - Jianna Garcia, Age 10, Texas

Makes 4 to 6 Servings

Ingredients:

For the Chicken Skewers:

• 12 chicken tenderloins, halved
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2/3 cup lemon juice
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 12 canned artichoke hearts, halved
• 24 grape tomatoes

For the Salad:

• 2 cups cooked couscous, cooled
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 cup peeled, seeded, and diced cucumber
• 1 cup rinsed and drained canned garbanzo beans
• ½ cup grape tomatoes, halved
• ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
• ¼ cup peeled and minced onions

For the Vinaigrette:

• ⅓ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ¼ cup white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the Tzatziki:

• 1 peeled, seeded cucumber, finely grated
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 2 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
• 2 teaspoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Equipment: 12 wooden skewers

Preparation:

1. To make the Chicken Skewers: Make sure to soak the wooden skewers in water for about 10 minutes before using. Season the chicken tenderloins with salt and pepper and put in a gallon-sized plastic bag with a seal. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Seal the bag and let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slide 1 wooden skewer though 1 piece of chicken twice, add 1 artichoke heart and 1 grape tomato then repeat with another piece of chicken, 1 artichoke heart, and 1 tomato. Lay the completed skewer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Repeat the process until all the skewers are filled. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 165°F.
3. To make the Salad: Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and chill.
4. To make the Vinaigrette: Place all the ingredients in a Mason jar with a lid and shake for 30 seconds. Drizzle over the salad and toss to combine.
5. To make the Tzatziki: Squeeze all the water out of the cucumber and place it in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper as needed. Chill.
6. Serve Chicken Skewers atop a mound of the Parsley Couscous Salad with a side of the Tangy Texas Tzatziki.

655 calories; 34g fat; 58g carbohydrates; 31g protein

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