Michelle Obama helps students plant peppers, cucumbers; says White House garden is ‘blooming’

September 24th, 2009 DC's new Michelle Melt: Turkey burger with a causeWASHINGTON — There's a new burger in town, and it's got Michelle Obama's name on it. The "Michelle Melt" turkey burger at Good Stuff Eatery was unveiled Thursday by chef Spike Mendelsohn, a former contestant on Bravo's "Top Chef" competition.

September 17th, 2009 First lady speaks and shops at farmers marketWASHINGTON — First lady Michelle Obama bought cheese, fingerling potatoes, eggs, black kale and other items Thursday at the launch of a new farmers market blocks from the White House. Before shopping, Mrs.

August 24th, 2009 Obamas' Filipina chef at home with healthy waysMANILA, Philippines — For the White House chef, serving homegrown vegetables straight from the garden is just like preparing food in her native Philippines — healthy and simple. Filipino-American Cristeta Pasia-Comerford, the first woman and first minority to serve as the executive chef in the White House, credited the first lady for making sure her family eats steamed, organic vegetables from the garden Michelle Obama planted in April.

July 27th, 2009 WASHINGTON - US First Lady Michelle Obama honoured the country's top designers at an annual luncheon at the White House. She called them "compelling innovators" who mix beauty with practicality.

July 2nd, 2009 White House garden tests positive for leadWASHINGTON — The White House says its high-profile garden on the South Lawn has tested positive for lead although it is not at dangerous levels. White House spokeswoman Katie McCormick-Lelyveld said Thursday that tests on the soil in the White House garden detected lead levels of 93 parts per million.

June 22nd, 2009 Obama to have news conference TuesdayWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has scheduled his first Rose Garden news conference. The White House on Monday said Obama would take questions from reporters at 12:30 p.m.

June 16th, 2009 Students join Mrs. Obama in harvesting gardenWASHINGTON — First lady Michelle Obama welcomed fifth-graders back to the White House garden Tuesday to pick the lettuce and peas they helped plant in the spring.

May 29th, 2009 Obama stops at Five Guys for cheeseburgerWASHINGTON — For a health food nut, President Barack Obama sure likes his burgers. Obama made a surprise lunchtime stop at Five Guys, a fast-food restaurant in Washington.

May 29th, 2009 Michelle Obama visits White House garden helpersWASHINGTON — It was time for Michelle Obama to return the favor. She put out the welcome mat at the White House and is opening its doors to all types of visitors, schoolchildren especially.

May 4th, 2009 First lady visits charter school for Cinco de MayoWASHINGTON — First lady Michelle Obama on Monday urged students to remember in their thoughts and prayers those suffering from the swine flu in Mexico. Mrs. Obama used the early Cinco de Mayo celebration with students from two bilingual charter schools to remind the crowd about the outbreak in Mexico that has left 26 confirmed dead.

May 4th, 2009 Michelle Obama says she enjoys being first ladyWASHINGTON — Michelle Obama says the most surprising thing about her move to the White House is how much fun it is to be first lady. Mrs. Obama spoke to students at the Latin American Montessori Bilingual Charter School on Monday.

April 11th, 2009 WASHINGTON - It was reportedly Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's idea to hold her afternoon meeting with President Barack Obama outside. Fierce campaign rivals just a year ago, Obama and Clinton were the picture of political bliss earlier this week when they ditched the Oval Office for a little quality time in the White House garden, reports the New York Daily News.

March 21st, 2009 WASHINGTON - With an eye to the nation's expanding waistlines and dwindling incomes, Michelle Obama is organising a vegetable garden at the White House. The spade was to be turned Friday for the first such garden at the White House since the victory garden planted by Eleanor Roosevelt during World War II, media reports said.

March 21st, 2009 WASHINGTON - Michelle Obama will begin digging up a patch of the South Lawn on Friday to plant a vegetable garden, the first at the White House since Eleanor Roosevelt's victory garden in World War II. While the organic garden will provide food for the first family's meals and formal dinners, its most important role, Michelle Obama said, will be to educate children about healthful, locally grown fruit and vegetables at a time when obesity and diabetes have become a national concern.

March 20th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A-list stars - including Alicia Keyes, Sheryl Crow, Debbie Allen and Alfre Woodard - will join U.S. first lady Michelle Obama to celebrate Women's History Month.