Some 35,000 people on the South Lawn of the White House during today’s Easter Egg Roll. (Jerry Hagstrom/The Hagstrom Report)

The 2015 White House Easter Egg Roll today turned into a fifth birthday celebration for First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign against childhood obesity.

President Barack Obama himself declared the birthday celebration.

“This is a particularly special Easter Egg Roll because we’ve actually got a birthday to celebrate,” Obama said from the balcony of the White House.

“It is the fifth anniversary of the first lady’s Let’s Move initiative. And to help us celebrate we've got the outstanding young group, Fifth Harmony, here to help us sing ‘Happy Birthday.’ ”

After the group led the 35,000 people attending the 137th Egg Roll in singing, the first lady said, “We’re celebrating by taking over the Easter Egg Roll with Gimme Five. And for those of you who don't know about the Gimme Five challenge, that's the fun, exciting way that we're trying to get the whole country to celebrate the fifth birthday of Let’s Move! “

“We’re asking Americans of all ages to give me five ways they’re leading a healthier life — five jumping jacks, eating five new vegetables, maybe doing a Gimme Five dance. You name it. And go on and Instagram it, #GimmeFive, and then challenge somebody else.”

“We've had so much fun doing this challenge. Beyoncé has done it. Michael Strahan has done it. Everybody is doing it. Ryan Seacrest. So, be a part of the movement. It’s fun. It’s a great way to get everybody moving,” the first lady said.

“We're going to turn this backyard into a huge Gimme Five flash mob,” the first lady added as she and the president walked down the stairs to the South Lawn to start the egg rolling.

When the president went back to work, the first lady continued farther down the lawn to a stage where she did the Gimme Five dance with the “So You Think You Can Dance” all-stars and mentors.

Saving the honeybees

Charles Brandt, the White House beekeeper, has been fighting off the Varoa mites that are afflicting honeybees around the country.

Brandt, a retired White House carpenter who keeps bees at his home in Maryland, said that one way he has discouraged the mites is by “de-queening” the hive by take the queen home, which forces the hive to develop a new queen.

The most honey the hive has produced since 2009 when it was established as part of First Lady Michelle Obama’s kitchen garden is 285 pounds. he said.

Brandt said he would like to produce 300 pounds of White House honey per year before the Obamas leave office.


Chef Bobby Flay dresses some “wonuts” in a demonstration on the White House lawn today. (Jerry Hagstrom/The Hagstrom Report)

Chef Flay uses canola oil, cane sugar to make ‘wonuts’

At the “Eggcited to Cook” station, chef Bobby Flay of the Food Network made “wonuts,” waffles that are topped like doughnuts.

The very concept is high in calories, but Flay tried to make them healthier by using a batter of oatmeal, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour and pure cane sugar — “not refined sugar,” as he put it.

Along with the other “wet ingredients” of eggs and vanilla, Flay used buttermilk, which he said had “fewer calories and fats than whole milk.”

Although he considers butter “the key to crisp waffles,” Flay used canola oil to make the waffles on the White House lawn.

Asking the crowd in front of him if he should put the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients or vice versa, Flay answered his own question by saying it doesn’t matter. He also said the mixture should rest so that “the ingredients get to know each other.”

But as he stirred the batter, Flay said people who try to make wonuts shouldn’t mix the batter too much. It should be “lumpy,” he said. “Don't overstir. You'll get tough waffles.”

When it came time to put the mixture on the waffle iron, Flay once again used canola oil, this time from a can of Pam, which he declared to be a good quality spray.

After taking the waffles out of the iron, Flay made a number of toppings.

One involved lemon juice, confectionary sugar and the zest (peel) of the lemon.

Cooks too often ignore the zest, Flay said, urging people to take off the zest of the lemon before squeezing out the juice.

“The zest has no calories and it’s free,” Flay said.

Another topping included yogurt, blueberries, strawberries and either peanuts or granola.

Flay said he is not opposed to using sweeteners.

“Moderation is the key,” Flay said. “You can’t take all the fun out of your eating.”

But “keep the bites of wonuts small,” Flay noted.

A little boy named Will came on the stage to taste them, and pronounced them “good.”

Asked by Flay if that would be all the praise he would get, Will nodded yes.

“Don’t go into politics,” Flay said.

The rest of the crowd did not seem to care. They grabbed for the wonuts when Flay passed a platter down from the stage.