What's cooler than going to the White House State Dinner? Going to the first ever White House Kids' State Dinner, obvi.
Michelle Obama hosted the very special feast (deceptively a luncheon) for the winners of a national healthy-eating recipe contest on Monday, wearing a lovely blue-and-green printed dress and a pearl necklace as she thanked the crowd for pioneering healthy eating before they all sat down for a feast based on the winning recipes.
"Thank you all for teaching your kids about healthy eating and nurturing that passion for cooking," she told the adults gathered. "And I want to thank you for the patience that you all have shown. I’m sure that there are some wrecked kitchens in this room. Sticky things, lots of stuff all over every place. Thank you for being patient and giving your children that sense of possibility to be able to do anything, even compete to win a recipe contest to be here at the White House."
The lunch, however, wasn't without its crashers -- namely, one President Obama, who sprinted into the festivities for a moment to address the crowd (and confess his woeful lack of cooking abilities):
"But in addition to being proud of her, I could not be prouder of you, the young people, because it's hard enough to follow a recipe and make something good to eat. I'm not a great cook. I'm an okay cook. I can make a good omelet and -- (laughter) -- toast -- (laughter) --
MRS. OBAMA: Chili.
THE PRESIDENT: I make a very good chili, it's true. But, look, let's face it, I don't cook that often these days."
The president also cautioned the 54 contest winners -- one from each state, three territories and D.C. -- and their parents to be mindful of the healthy diet of the White House's furriest resident:
"Try not to drop any scraps on the floor because Bo -- (laughter) -- Bo is on a diet right now and he will eat anything that he sees, especially some of the tasty meals that you guys have prepared."
If you're interested, see the winning kids' recipes here. We can't wait to try the "Secret Service Super Salad."
See photos and video below!
