Thanks to her recipe, Sunny’s Omelette and Bo’s Patriotic Parfait, 9-year-old Ava Terosky from Lower Merion got to attend the White House Kids State Dinner with 56 other children, writes Justin Heinze for the Narberth-Bala Cynwyd Patch.

To get the invitation, kids aged 8-12 were asked to submit their recipes for the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge with more than 1,200 responding.

“The competition was stiff,” First Lady Michelle Obama told the winners. “You should be very proud of yourselves.”

The First Lady did everything to ensure the event mirrored a real state dinner, including having a receiving line and fancy table settings.

According to Terosky, the inspiration for her winning recipe came from her sister.

“My little sister Caitlin was born with a serious heart problem and got a pacemaker at one day old,” she said. “My mom, dad, and the doctors were worried, especially because she was a very picky eater, even as a baby. So, my dad and I work hard to create healthy, animal-shaped meals that Caitlin will eat — she loves animals!”

Read about Ava Terosky’s recipe from the Narberth-Bala Cynwyd Patch by clicking here.