The White House and the winter garden. Plus: The Roundup

Last week's excursion to the White House didn't end indoors. After the small roundtable discussion with Michelle Obama, the other invited journalists and I joined a couple hundred teachers and school officials on the White House South lawn to celebrate the winners of the Healthier U.S. School Challenge.

On the South Lawn, October 17, 2011.

After milling around and munching on apples, White House chef Sam Kass took us down to the official White House garden for an exclusive tour. You can read about it on Yahoo! Shine, of course: The White House and the winter garden: Eating local all year long. My favorite part was getting to snack on pineapple basil blossoms and learning about some of the Thomas Jefferson heirloom seeds that they had planted, courtesy of Monticello. Here are a few pictures from that tour:

A slate tablet in the garden. (Photo: Lylah M. Alphonse)

Part of the White House garden. (Photo: Lylah M. Alphonse)

White House chef Sam Kass with the Thomas Jefferson fig tree. (Photo: Lylah M. Alphonse)

Chef Kass picks one of the last of the pumpkins. (Photo: Lylah M. Alphonse)

The White House garden, with the Washington Monument in the background. (Photo: Lylah M. Alphonse)

And now, The Roundup:


On Yahoo! Shine:

• Michelle Obama on the things that matter most to moms
• The White House and the winter garden: Eating local all year long
• Missing baby Lisa Irwin's mom admits she was drunk when her baby disappeared
• Gifted child? Study shows kids IQs can change during the teen years
• What, no rapture again? Maybe the Apocalypse is taking place on Wall Street
• U.S. troops in Iraq will be home for the holidays, Obama says

On Work It Mom!:

• Juggling work and family when you're away on business

On 4 Kids or More:

• What's your go-to meal when you don't have time to cook?

On the Savvy Source for Parents:

• Kid-friendly haunts in the Greater Boston area