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recently went through a spell where one child helped make dinner, one helped set up, one helped do dishes after. When helping cook, they have the best time; they’re willing to try more things at home. And they all love to bake. I have one daughter who will sometimes have a pop-up restaurant with friends over called Casual Chic. We recently had a surplus of eggs from our chicken, so my daughter called her pop-up Casual Chick. She made a gorgeous frittata and friedegg sandwiches. It’s nice to see them with their friends and know that they’re competent. Tell us about your mom’s family farm in Oklahoma and how it’s being converted to organic to grow produce for Once Upon a Farm. It is well underway. The farm is naturally organic; no pesticides have been used. My Uncle Robert has been getting everything ready, and he said it’s looking beautiful. It’s certainly not been a celebrated piece of land in the past, but it’s been in the family for the last 100 years. It will contribute to our produce; next spring we’ll be harvesting persimmons, blueberries and kale. My mom is beside herself about it; I have not heard her this excited about anything for a long time. It’s all she can talk about! Life is busy! How are you balancing being a mother, an actor, and a cofounder of a growing food company—and also taking time to take care of yourself? There is no such thing as balance! [laughs] The sooner you can let go of the idea that everything is going to work out perfectly, you have to forgive yourself when kids go by the wayside for work and vice versa. I do love those days when, oh my gosh, I had a minute alone, I got to cook, I saw girlfriends, and I fit in a workout. But the secret is no secret. It’s intense scheduling, and I’m in the Olympics of scheduling: the kids, my girlfriends, exercising, working in the garden. It’s really ridiculous, but I think that, in general, this is the case with all working moms. Are you involved with product development at Once Upon a Farm? Any new innovations coming out? One of the most fun things for me is to be part of the conversation.
The most important thing is that we want to offer a fresh, healthy, fantastic alternative to moms who are so busy and wish they were making homemade baby food every day.
Cassandra is like a fairy in the kitchen. She comes up with a hero product, and it is incredible. We have our current lineup of foods and are about to have more toddler blends, too. We’re excited about a fun flavor called Peter Banana Pumpkin Eater, which is exclusive for Kroger. It’s delicious! That’s a fun name! How have you all come up with other flavor names? When it comes to naming, everyone geeks out. I love to be in those conversations. We have such a great start with the name of the company; I think there is a magical storybook element to it. Our name kind of guides us to where we want to go. You seem to really enjoy being a part of this venture. Is there anything else you would like to share? The most important thing is that we want to offer a fresh, healthy, fantastic alternative to moms who are so busy and wish they were making homemade baby food every day. We are also
going to continue offering recipes for busy moms. When I made my kids’ foods, I didn’t blend in extra things for development and health. It’s so gratifying and important to be able to offer products with good ingredients. I am also loving it when people come up to me and, instead of asking about movies I’ve been in, they say that they have a baby or toddler and he or she can’t get enough of our food. That makes me so happy that kids are excited to see our pouches. They have great feelings and memories of food with texture and taste. It’s thrilling to be part of a great, fun, smart experience and be part of a like-minded team working to the same goal. I grew up going to Kroger, riding in the grocery cart. I knew all of the checkers at the registers. I can’t wait to go to my hometown Kroger in West Virginia and see the pouches in the refrigerator section. I just know that it’s going to be much more meaningful than I could ever have imagined. LIVENATURALLYMAGAZINE.COM
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