A few weeks ago a film crew from Arkansas (the home of Walmart) came knocking on my door, and wanted to get my perspective on sustainability. When I was first approached about the idea, I jumped at it thinking “this is my chance to let the biggest retailer in the world hear what I think can be done better, or what I would like to see more of in the future. The opportunity to represent my people and hopefully make a difference for us all. ”  That day we filmed for the better half of the morning, and I was honest and as candid as possible. I talked about recycling, renewable energy, the everyday differences I myself commit to, GMO’s, organic products, and trying to shape up the planet as much as possible to leave this world a better place for my son and the generations that follow him.

This past Tuesday I was in Arkansas for the first Walmart Sustainability Expo. A few CEO’s from the largest global companies had also gathered there to join in on making a green footprint in the quest for sustainability. I sat there in a room of over 2000 people listening to all the changes that Walmart has committed to making, and then watching as some of the largest brands followed their lead. Kellogg’s, Campbell Soup, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, General Mills, Unilever, and Proctor and Gamble all pledged to make a difference. Some companies promised to use a significant amount of less water, others promised to reduce the amount of packaging used by making smaller containers with concentrated product inside, and lastly we had the companies that pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. About an hour into the conference they played the video (posted above) that my family and I were featured in along with 3 other Walmart Moms and their families. I watched the video from my seat and knew that all eyes and ears in that room were watching too. I felt so proud of us 4 Walmart Moms who stood up to make a difference, and hoped that those companies heard what we (the consumers) had to say.

Pictured below is a sketch of a group of CEO’s that had just made their pledge and were having their picture taken to document the joyes occasion.

The level of green consciousness was definitely the focal point of everyone in the room, and when I departed from the conference that night, I felt great knowing I was part of a team of people that were looking to build a better tomorrow.

If you read my blog, then you know how much I adore my grandfather. He has made such a huge impact on my everyday character, and who I am in general. Without him as a role model, I don’t think I would have the joie de vie attitude mixed with I don’t care what people say or think about me…. I’m just happy. It is his love for family and survival that has molded my disposition and  sunny outlook on life.

Recently my grandfather had a doctor’s appointment for no reason other then he goes to the Dr. every few months because he’ll be 90 years old soon and we have to keep a close eye on our favorite guy. As usual the doctor gave him shining results and said he is healthy as can be. Lucky me! The only thing the Dr. did say is he should slow down and hold back a little on his sugar intake. What? Right before Easter? He didn’t say he couldn’t have sugar, he just said it shouldn’t be so often. Well here’s the thing, my beautiful old grandpa just loves a tall glass of juice in the morning, and I can’t deprive him of that.

The other day I was at Walmart and found a juice in the frozen section made by Old Orchard. What caught my attention was the fact that it read clear as day “No sugar added.” That already was better than the sugar loaded juice my grandpa drinks in the morning. I reached for a can of Old Orchard to investigate it further, and to my delight it has  no artificial flavors and no preservatives. Each 8-oz glass equals two servings of fruit and contains 120% of the daily recommended value of Vitamin C. Thumbs up! Plus it ONLY cost $1.47 at Walmart– say what? And my grandfather gets to still have his juice in the morning…. Love it! I brought a few plastic cans of juice home and put them to the test. We found a winner. Grandpa liked the natural sweetness from the juice and I liked serving him something his Dr. wouldn’t frown upon. I love my Grandpa, god bless his soon to be 90 year old soul. The whole family will raise a glass with him.

That’s pretty. I always have a desire to make or eat a trifle, but until recently I did not own a trifle bowl. I needed to correct that fast……

My fiance took it upon himself to start looking up places for me to buy a trifle bowl.  Every place was either online with shipping or out of the way, then he checked Walmart, not only is it close by but it was priced so nicely ($6. 97) I went out and bought it straight away.

As my grubby hands placed my new trifle bowl in the cart, I said to my son “We can’t leave here with out buying ingredients to fill this beautiful vessel to the rim.” I then asked “Do you want to make an Easter Trifle? We can decorate it with the new blue raspberry peeps, and a chocolate bunny.” My son looked at me and said excitedly “Can we get jellybeans too?” Me, being a pleased new owner of a trifle bowl, I said “Of course we can!” Then we ran like little kids do across Walmart to the Easter candy section and picked out our prized treats. The blue raspberry peeps didn’t make it all the way home, my son had to have them in the car, luckily I bought an extra pack of regular blue peeps.

Ingredients for Easter lemon cake trifle:

• 1 – 6 ounce box of strawberry jello mix
• 1 1/2 – cups boiling hot water
• 1 – 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 – box Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme Cake mix (bake according to box instructions. Use egg, water, and vegetable oil)
• 1 – box pink bunny peeps
• 1 – large container cool whip
• 1 – box of blue raspberry peeps / or blue peeps
• 1 – bag Starburst jellybeans
• 1 – Lindt chocolate bunny

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl add in jello mix and hot boiling water. Mix with a fork or whisk until all jello is dissolved.
2. Pour sweetened condensed milk into jello mixture. Mix to combine.
3. Pour creamy jello mixture into the bottom on the trifle bowl. 
4. Place in fridge.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
6. Mix cake batter according to box (add in egg, water and oil) and bake. 
7. Allow cake to cool. Remove from pan and cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes. 
8. Remove trifle bowl from fridge and start building your trifle. By alternating between the cubed cake and a bunny peep. 
9. Then fill the entire center with cake cubes. 
10. Spread a nice thick layer of cool whip on top of cake.
11. Then place another layer of cake on top of the cool whip. 
12. Top with another layer of cool whip filling the trifle to the rim.
13. Then decorate the top with blue raspberry peeps, jellybeans, and a chocolate bunny.
14. Place back in the fridge till ready to eat.
15. Enjoy!

I woke up to some great news this morning. Walmart released a statement letting the world know that they will now carry a new awesome organic line called Wild Oats in their stores. Can you believe the world’s largest retailer is bringing an organic line to the people at a 25% cheaper price point (compared to other organic lines?)  I love it. This just means more people will be able to eat organic, or people who wanted to eat organic in the past but couldn’t afford it might be able to now. Heck, this organic line may even reach a new demographic of people who had never even considered eating organic, and might go that route now, teaching the country to eat better and live better. This is seriously a beautiful thing and makes me so proud to see my beloved Walmart taking steps everyday to make the organic world more readily available to people.

• Wild Oats Marketplace Organic™, which adheres to USDA guidelines for organic certification and includes everything from canned vegetables to a full range of spices such as paprika, curry powder and ground cinnamon.
• Walmart will carry a broad variety of Wild Oats Marketplace Organic™ categories – from salsa and pasta sauce to quinoa and chicken broth.

I am headed to Walmart now to buy Wild Oats Marketplace Organic™ products and put them to good use. Seeing that round  USDA seal for organic certification is pure joy.

Last week I was having dinner with a group of girlfriends. We were sitting around chatting, exchanging our newest finds around town and updating each other on what’s going on in our lives.  One of my friends said that she had recently started taking “biotin” per instruction from her hairstylist. I asked “Why? What does it do?”  She said it helps with hair thickening, skin, and stronger nails. I liked what I heard and thought I should start taking it too.

A few days later I discovered this cool new tool that Walmart.com is providing called Vitaselect, it’s this quick online survey you can take and based on your answers it will help you choose a vitamin, mineral or other supplement to fit your concerns. Awesome right? Of course, I took the survey right away, and in addition to recommending a daily vitamin, it recommended biotin and cinnamon capsules. I rushed over to Walmart and found everything I needed, and started my new regimen right then.  I can’t wait for my hair and skin to start looking better, then I’ll report back to the girls. Take the survey and forget the guess work…. Vitaselect will do it for you.

I relish the moments when I can spend a little me time alone with a book. It’s usually a big deal for me, so I try and make an event out of it.  I wait for my son to be tucked away and fast asleep, that way I could be sure there will be little to no interuptions. I put on my softest p.j.’s , make a little snack and serve myself a lovely beverage (either wine or tea….depending on my mood). Lately I have been reading an advanced copy of this book called “Blossom Street Brides” by Debbie Macomber. I’m a total sucker for a sweep me off my feet romance, especially when it’s an easy read, and this book is just that. If you love these types of books too, then you gotta read this one. I was so endeared with “Blossom Street Brides” I would make wedding cheese-cake plates at night as I read to fit in theme with the story. I couldn’t help it… I wanted to live vicariously through the characters, and the cheese-cake just made it all the more realistic! Okay, let me tell you just a little about the book without giving too much away….

It’s based in Seattle, and the story revolves around three woman and their relationships. It starts with Lauren Elliot who has been waiting for her long term boyfriend, Todd, to propose to her. When his timing isn’t working out with hers, she makes a bold choice and leaves him. Only to find herself on a new exciting adventure with a man named Rooster that she would never expect to like. Then there is Bethanne Scranton who is newly married to her second husband, Max. These two are blissfully in love, but there is one big problem…. Max’s business is in California, and Bethanne’s is in Seattle. The strain of distance is hard on their marriage, especially when Bethanne’s first husband Grant (who lives in Seattle) is trying to win her back. Lastly is Lydia Goetz,  a happily married business woman who owns a local yarn shop. Lately she worries about bringing in more business to A Good Yarn. Then without her knowing, someone hatches up a brilliant plan to drop baskets of yarn all around town with instructions to knit a scarf for charity and return it to Lydia’s shop. This is the exact boost her shop needs and the mystery starts to be the buzz on the streets, but who should  she thank for this great upturn?

As three woman’s lives intersect they realize that love heals every heart and the best surprises still lay ahead. There are lots of marriages, hearts filled with romance and an addicting story that doesn’t let you put the book down. You’ll be able to buy the book on 4.8.14 and it will be $17.97 only at Walmart (31% off list price of $26). Just for the record…. I got my cheeses at Walmart too.

Ingredients for mini wedding cheese-cake:

• Queso fresco
• fresh water mozzarella
• cream cheese
• laughing cow mini babybel
• edible flowers

Directions:

1. Stack cheeses on a plate with the largest cheese on the bottom as a base and the smallest on top. I shaped the cream cheese into a circle with a cookie cutter.
2. Decorate each tier with flowers.
3. Serve with crackers.
4. Enjoy, read, and fall in love!

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Oh yeah,  It’s time for corned beef and cabbage.  Let me just set the record straight.  When I was a little girl the only way I had ever eaten corned beef was in a hash out of a can and in a hard taco because that was the way my grandfather prepared it.  It wasn’t till I was a teenager that I ate a proper corned beef  and cabbage that my Auntie Rosie had made for St. Patrick’s Day and I was so excited, I didn’t bother to ask her how she made it.  Over the years I have had many corned beef variations, everything from sandwiches to taquitos to hash with a poached egg on top and every once in a while I’m reminded of that first time I had the real thing with cabbage.

This year I decided to not let another St. Patrick’s Day go by without making my own corned beef and cabbage.  I looked up a few recipes on the internet and didn’t really like what I saw.  Then I thought, why not call my most reliable source in the world, my awesome Auntie Rosie!  She gets on the phone and I run a few ideas by her on how I want to prepare mine and she tells me all the methods I have suggested will work fine.  She’s a little “iffy” about my ground mustard rub idea but in the end tells me to go for it. Before we hang up, I ask her “Auntie Rosie, where can I buy corned beef?”  She said, “I buy mine at Walmart.”  That’s all I needed to hear.

Ingredients needed for corned beef and cabbage:

• 1 1/2 – cups water
• 4 – lbs corned beef
• 1 – onion
• spice packet: come included with the corned beef ( mustard seeds, coriander, black peppercorns, and bay leaf)
• 2 – sprigs of thyme
• 1 – teaspoon ground mustard
• 1 – head of cabbage
• 10 – baby carrots (optional)
• 1 – teaspoon olive oil
• 10 – yellow potatoes
• 1 – teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

1. Pour water into a slow cooker, then place corned beef, and onion inside slow cooker.
2. Sprinkle the spice packet over the corned beef. Then sprinkle the ground mustard over the top, and add the thyme to the top. 
3. Cover and cook for about 6 hours on high or 8 hours on low.
4. While the corned beef is cooking steam the cabbage and roast the potatoes an hour before dinner time.
5. Cut the cabbage in 4 equal pieces, then place them in a steamer basket inside a dutch oven with about an inch of water at the bottom of the pot. Place a lid over the dutch oven and place over a medium high flame and steam for 40 minutes. You can add carrots to the cabbage if you would like. 
6. To cook the potatoes: place them on a baking tray and drizzle olive oil over the top and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake at 400 degrees fahrenheit for 45 minutes. 
7. When corned beef is ready. Remove from the slower cooker and place under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes or until slightly browned on top.
8. Let the corned beef rest for 15 minutes before slicing it. 
9. Serve with cabbage, and potatoes.
10. Enjoy!