FROZEN FEVER The

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After getting pregnant with her first child, former Manhattan Assistant District Attorney CHLOE EPSTEIN set out to find a clean alternative for her love of frozen treats. But when she couldn’t find one, she made one— and Chloe’s Fruit was born.

MINI | We are so inspired by your delicious brand, Chloe’s! Can you tell us how it all came to be?

CHLOE EPSTEIN | The idea for Chloe’s was inspired by my real life need to fill a void in the market. I always grappled with feeding my intense sweet tooth while at the same time accommodating my commitment to a healthy lifestyle. As an avid fro-yo consumer, when I became pregnant and started thinking more mindfully about what I was feeding my family, I became increasingly committed to eliminating artificial ingredients from my diet.

I wanted to create something truly delicious that would satisfy my cravings while also being something I could feel great about giving my kids. With Chloe’s, we created a better-for-you frozen treat that everyone could enjoy and we continue to keep that basic mission at the forefront of everything we do.

MINI | Since Chloe’s are made with real fruit (and nothing to hide!), we’d love to know about your food philosophy at home. Are there certain foods you stick to and others you shy away from?

CHLOE EPSTEIN | It is certainly challenging to contend with multiple stubborn, little palettes and food preferences under one roof. I have always tried to focus on whole foods and ingredients and teach the kids at a young age about wholesome eating. I keep treats and snacks that are similar in philosophy to Chloe’s— those

M I N I98 s u m m e r ‘22

without artificial and unnecessary ingredients, but are still appealing and delicious.

We always have a ton of fresh fruit and raw vegetables for the kids to snack on with hearty dips like hummus and guacamole. I do not want the kids to ever feel deprived, which I’m sure they would argue they feel from time to time, but they appreciate the effort I make to try and keep the house relatively clean. They are at ages where they are making many meal and snack choices on their own and I can only do my best to instill in them an appreciation for feeding their bodies nutritiously.

MINI | What has been your proudest career moment to date?

CHLOE EPSTEIN | Seeing Chloe’s Pops in schools and camps was such a great moment. The mission was always to create a better-for-you frozen treat that everyone could enjoy and feel great about eating. Having kids, at an early age, understand that you can enjoy delicious treats that are not filled with artificial, inferior ingredients was and is important to me, so having our pops offered to kids in their everyday routines was especially meaningful.

MINI | What has been the greatest lesson you’ve learned in business thus far?

CHLOE EPSTEIN | There is always more to learn and it’s important to keep an open

mind while staying true to your core beliefs. You may end up somewhere different than what you had planned and that can be a great thing.

MINI | What do you think about the idea of “having it all?”

CHLOE EPSTEIN | It doesn’t really mean much to me. Everyone’s “all” is different. I think if you feel fulfilled, you are doing something right. I’ve learned it’s hard to feel completely satisfied and in control all the time, but the drive to want more or to do better is what makes us successful in whatever it is we are trying to accomplish.

MINI | Let’s shift over to mom life. As a mom of three, can you tell us what has surprised you most about motherhood thus far?

CHLOE EPSTEIN | I am surprised by how much more challenging it gets as the kids get older. I anticipated that the baby and toddler years would be the doozies, but learned that is not the case. While the early years are physically exhausting, the later years are more mentally and emotionally draining along with exciting, rewarding, and joyous of course!

MINI | How was your transition going from a mom of zero to one, then three kids?

CHLOE EPSTEIN | With twins, I went from having one child to having three and skipped having two at once! I think going from one to three was dramatic, but I love the energy and chaos of it all that it certainly was and continues to be.

MINI | What advice would you give to moms about to have their second baby?

CHLOE EPSTEIN | You got this! As you learn from the first one, it is all

instinctive. I’d say cherish the alone time with your first child because that is a rare time that the first child gets and it’s magic.

MINI | Can you tell us how you decided on your kids’ names?

CHLOE EPSTEIN | My incredibly authentic, funny, charismatic, kind, and smart younger brother, Andrew Russell, passed away when I was younger and so my first child is named after him, Ava Ryan. With my twins, we just had fun and went with names we loved. We chose Charlie Lola and Oliver Ian and I think they are keeping them.

MINI | Where are your favorite places to visit with kids in NYC?

CHLOE EPSTEIN | When they were young, we loved Central Park outings and now they love going for runs there. It’s crazy! We also love a trip to Hudson Yards and exploring the Vessel and Highline.

MINI | What do you love most about raising your kids in NYC?

CHLOE EPSTEIN | The access to culture and the knowledge that they will always have it at their fingertips. And, while it’s intimidating as a parent, NYC living is a lesson in independence that you don’t find in most other places.

MINI | What has been on the agenda for both your family and Chloe’s this summer?

CHLOE EPSTEIN | As much as I love the city, I equally love escaping from it during the summer. We try to spend as much time as possible out East in the Hamptons and take in every moment of outdoor activity and just the sheer beauty all around.

Chloe’s is also out East this summer! We are thrilled to expand our partnership with Juice Press and bring our Soft Serve Fruit and Pops to their Southampton shop. Our pops are available in several markets out there as well like King Kullen, Citarella, IGA, and Fresh Direct who will deliver right to your door. We also recently launched our new Marvel inspired family pack pops adding new favorites like Spider-Man Lemon-Lime and Orange and Avengers Strawberry-Mango to our lineup. They are perfect for summer entertaining and already a family favorite.

MINI | What are you eating or making most this summer? Any favorite summer recipes?

CHLOE EPSTEIN | We BBQ a ton in the summer, and we love a good shish kabob. I love that we can please the carnivores and vegetarians at the same time with the same dish. We’re [also] making a lot of our pop recipes. They are a party favorite that look beautiful and taste amazing. I’m personally loving our Chloe’s Margarita Poptail. It’s so easy to make— just rim the glass with some salt, add ice, tequila, triple sec, and lime juice. Stick the lime pop in, pop down, stick up and enjoy! CHLOE ON THE CLOCK

KIDS BOOK Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud ($7; amazon.com)

KIDS MOVIE “They were obsessed with Parental Guidance.”

BEFORE KIDS “Have to lock the bathroom door to avoid an audience.”

IN MY FRIDGE

“Pickles. In the freezer, Chloe’s pops, obviously.”

ON MY NIGHTSTAND “Picture of the fam and fresh flowers.”

NOW PLAYING “Lizzo’s About Damn Time and the How I Built This podcast.”

DATE NIGHT “Anywhere with no cell service.”

COFFEE ORDER “Iced or hot, depending on the season, with a splash of oatmilk.”

FAVE RESTAURANT “Recently, Scalinatella.” 201 E 61st St, New York, NY