This week, Gourmet Live is featuring an exclusive interview with Kelly Rutherford, the Gossip Mom herself just in time for Mother’s Day. Kelly Rutherford plays Lily Van Der Woodsen on the CW’s hit show, Gossip Girl.
The single mother of two-year-old Hermes and 22-month-old Helena spoke to Gourmet Live’s Rachel Biermann about channeling aspects from her health-conscious Southern California upbringing into raising her own children—though the actress swears she is more flexible than her own mom, who rarely allowed sweets at home.
Rutherford spoke to Gourmet Live about keeping a (mostly) organic kitchen, making exceptions for cupcakes, and what she’ll be doing for Mother’s Day. She also let us in on let us in on acceptable Oreo use, turmeric as tonic, and her special ingredient for baby guacamole.
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Kelly Rutherford is on a break from shooting her hit TV show, Gossip Girl, yet she shows no signs of slowing down. The 42-year-old newly single mother of two-year-old Hermes and 22-month-old Helena has worked nonstop for the past 20 years, starring on the NBC soap opera Generations and as Megan Lewis Mancini on the original Melrose Place in the 1990s before sinking her teeth into Lily van der Woodsen, the conniving Upper East Side socialite mother of Blake Lively’s Serena, the Gossip Girl herself. Born in Kentucky and raised in Southern California, Kelly claims her keen understanding of eating well was passed down the maternal line, but when it comes to raising her own brood, the actress swears she is a little more flexible than her own mother, who rarely allowed sweets at home. All the hard-core health-consciousness is no pose. After the success of her “Affordable Luxury” line of handbags she sold this spring on QVC, the actress has been preparing for the launch of a new web site about health, beauty, and environmentally -friendly living. She took time out to talk to Gourmet Live about acceptable Oreo use, turmeric as tonic, and the special ingredient in baby guacamole.
Gourmet Live: Do you and your character Lily van der Woodsen share any of the same cooking habits?
Kelly Rutherford: I think, in terms of where Lily goes to buy food and the kinds of foods she eats, we’re probably very similar. We both like organic products without pesticides. But meals for her children are much more elaborate than mine and definitely not home-cooked.
Gourmet Live: Are you super hard-core about your kids eating organic all the time?
Kelly Rutherford: At home it’s all organic—although we do buy Oreos. All our meat is organic, from either Whole Foods or other organic markets. But when we are out in the world I don’t think about it. I don’t stress about it. So if we eat out and my son says, “I want a cupcake” or “I want a cookie,” I say, that’s fine.
Gourmet Live: That sounds like a healthy balance.
Kelly Rutherford: Absolutely. I don’t want them to have issues. I don’t want them to say, “Oh, I can’t eat this,” or, “My mom says I can’t have sugar.” This is what I tell my son: “Your body needs different vegetables and fruits to be strong like Spiderman.” I say that sugar is so sweet we are only supposed to have a little of it. But, I mean, he’s just a kid exploring his world. He wants to try things that look fun. M&M’s look fun. Cupcakes look fun. So instead of saying no, I just say, “Let’s have a few.”
Gourmet Live: Cookies. So you’re not anti-sugar?
Kelly Rutherford: No, but I make sure my kids always have protein first, because if they eat sweets after you give them chicken or a hard-boiled egg, their blood sugar doesn’t spike up and down like it would if they just ate sugar alone. A lot of what happens with kids is when they have sugar without anything else in the system their blood sugar goes up and then it dips. So you have a child who is hyper one minute and then crying on the floor the next—which all moms have experienced.
Gourmet Live: What do you cook for your kids?
Kelly Rutherford: I make very simple things like organic turkey burgers, organic hamburgers, or lamb. And I do it simply — I will use a little olive oil, Himalayan sea salt and pepper, and some turmeric. Sometimes I even put a little turmeric in their oatmeal.
Gourmet Live: Really? I’m surprised they would eat that. Most people put brown sugar in their oatmeal. Turmeric doesn’t sound so appealing. Isn’t that spicy?
Kelly Rutherford: (Laughing) I put agave or honey in it too. But turmeric is what’s in curry; it’s an anti-inflammatory. I give it to my dog also, who’s 15 and not in the best shape. You can put it in anything. I use it because I’ve read it’s really good for you.
Gourmet Live: Did you make food for the kids when they were babies?
Kelly Rutherford: Oh God, yes. Everything. I made everything fresh. I had a little mini blender — I think you can buy it at Giggle, here in New York, or certainly you can buy one online. I would steam a sweet potato and it’s ready to go, or blend an avocado—with breast milk! And then you can freeze it for three or four days. Now that they are older I make them smoothies. I’ll blend a banana with rice milk or coconut water fresh from the coconut.
Gourmet Live: Opening a coconut is quite a skill. They’re pretty solid.
Kelly Rutherford: I know. I actually had a Filipina baby nurse who showed me how to open them, but if you go to Whole Foods they will preopen it for you. I will blend the coconut—the really soft part, then add a little coconut water and a little vanilla rice milk. It tastes just like a milk shake. It’s so delicious. And coconut is nature’s Pedialite too. When either of them gets a cold or is not feeling well I give them coconut water. It’s filled with natural electrolytes. And coconut oil is great for you. I use it on my hair and on my skin, and I might even take a spoonful. It’s really good for your brain. It’s got natural fats in it. It’s amazing.
Gourmet Live: How do you splurge?
Kelly Rutherford: I love to have juices delivered. It makes it easier on the go for a snack. Something that tastes good and is convenient. I call the Juice Press here in New York, and also Organic Avenue, and they will deliver coconut water or green juice.
Gourmet Live: Will your kids drink it?
Kelly Rutherford: Not really. I give them apples and cheese for a snack. Or Annie’s Organic Bunny Fruit Snacks. And sometimes they just want Oreos.
Gourmet Live: Ah, that evergreen Oreo.
Kelly Rutherford: Ha! My son has a real sweet tooth. In fact, I told him all of his teeth are sweet. He just loves, loves, loves sweets.
Gourmet Live: You are so careful about what you and the kids eat—what’s your biggest vice?
Kelly Rutherford: Sometimes we will sit and watch a movie while we’re having dinner, which I know is a big no-no. But we love it. I love to sit with them and cuddle all together and watch TV.
Gourmet Live: Did you inherit your good eating habits from your mother?
Kelly Rutherford: Most definitely. My mom was health conscious. I have always leaned toward the natural way. And it’s not that my mother cooked a lot—she just made sure we always had lots of healthy food around, like lots of fruits and vegetables. My grandmother did the same thing. I have this image of her standing in the kitchen constantly peeling fruit and cutting vegetable for crudites so we could all munch on it. I loved that.
Gourmet Live: Given all the thought you put into everything you do for them, do they have any special plans lined up for you for Mother’s Day?
Kelly Rutherford: Oh gosh, I don’t know. Last year Hermes made me a beautiful card at school. It was so cute. And then my nanny helped them make cookies. I’m sure they’ll do something—I’ll just have to wait and see.
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