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Family Kitchen
Dinner with NieNie: Stephanie Nielson Dishes on Food, Family & Plastic Utensils
There’s something about Stephanie Nielson’s old-fashioned sensibility that is inspiring. A beloved blogger and dedicated mom to four beautiful children, Stephanie of the NieNie Dialogues inspires daily with her graceful, gentle take of the joys of raising a family. While so many mothers’s seem to be looking for quick meal ideas, seeking the fastest way to get dinner on and off of the table, NieNie looks at suppertime as an opportunity to slow down, teach her children, and relish the day together over a hot meal. Her technique is simple but surprising: the “good” plates are pulled out (not saved for fancy meals), little helpers are welcomed into the kitchen (not shooed out of mommy’s way), and even the family dog is given a job. Here’s how Nie makes family dinner work, the old-fashioned way.
How does food & family work in your home?
Food is what makes our family tick. We share some of the best moments together while eating or cooking. I cook everyday, except Sunday then Christian cooks. That is his favorite day of the week. He loves to cook.
I love to set the table, and I just taught my girls how to do it so they love that job now, and I usually end up cleaning up- me and my dog Jimmy, he licks the plates in the dishwasher clean. ;)
What does family dinner look like in your home? Dinner is always on the table at 6:00. I don’t use anything plastic, always glass and nice silverware. Dinner is such a special time for our family.
What are your family’s favorite meals?
I make good pizza and Christian loves cooking salmon. We try and eat fish 3 times a night. Dinner is always cooked and served by me. I enjoy trying new recipes. We don’t eat meat, so mostly vegetables.
How do you make family mealtimes memorable?
We always play “What was your favorite thing today” at the dinner table. It opens conversation, and we laugh and understand what eachother loves and does throughout the day.
What would you have your children learn from you about food and family?
That dinner is a very special time of the day. It is family time, a time to enjoy good home-cooked meals, and it is a time to wind down together.
Stephanie Nielson was born, raised, and married in Provo, UT. She is a popular blogger and author of “nieniedialogues.com”. She began blogging in 2005 while living in New Jersey as a way to keep her and her husband’s family informed about their life in the east. From 2005 to 2008, her blog steadily grew in popularity and readership. Her blog entries are a natural portrayal of life as a wife, mother, Latter-day Saint, daughter, sister, citizen, etc. They are filled with pictures and images that represent the common joys in the roles of her life. In the summer of 2008 she and her husband Christian were involved in a serious airplane accident. A close friend perished from his injuries and Christian and Stephanie survived the crash with burns covering arms, legs, face, and hands. She has been featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show, and The Today Show with Matt Lauer. In these interviews she explains why she believes she beat the odds of surviving their tragic accident and what life is like with her new appearance and physical limitations. Although reconstructive surgery is an ongoing requirement for Stephanie she maintains a joyful attitude for life as it was meant to be and living the roles she loves live. She currently lives in Provo with her husband and 4 children.
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22 Comments
Summer commented on Nov 12 10 at 7:50 ami love the comment about good plates. My parents always used their good plates and subequently there are almost none left as seven children clumsily dealt with them. But we loved the fact that we got to use the beautiful plates for all our meals. Today I do the same with my son. We have dishes to use for the microwave, but otherwise we always use our good dishes.
Natalia @ FL Home Blog commented on Nov 12 10 at 7:50 amAgreed. NieNie is inspiring! In every way.
Jen commented on Nov 12 10 at 8:53 amDinner in our home is much the same. So very important for our family. Nice article.
Johanna Diaz. commented on Nov 12 10 at 9:02 amLa adoro, a mi me gustaria tener la valentia y la fuerza que ella tiene para salir y seguir adelante, es todo un ejemplo y admiro su valentia
Te mando un abrazo muy fuerte.
sharron griffin commented on Nov 12 10 at 9:43 amAlways use those best dishes…don’t save them for a special time…every day is special..
Ranee commented on Nov 12 10 at 10:21 amWe recently took our children to the thrift store and let them each pick out a plate, bowl and cup…all glass. Our children are 7 and under! They use these dishes for every meal, helping me to wash them by hand in between meals. They are slowing down and taking more time and care with their things! Because they got to pick them out, they OWN them and try very hard to keep them nice! We have been doing this for about 3 weeks now, and have only had on broken cup! I agree…every day is special! :0)
Breezy Scott commented on Nov 12 10 at 10:31 amEvery time I read NieNie I am so excited to have children! Can’t wait to make some of her family’s traditions, my family’s.
Alison commented on Nov 12 10 at 10:50 amThe way that food is prepared and served is an art form. I really believe that we would have less problems with obesity and poor food choices in our culture if we encouraged sitting down and eating together.
I work full time and cook for a family of five and it’s hard but so, so worth it.
Bravo to Nie. She’s great!
shelia commented on Nov 12 10 at 12:02 pmThanks for this lovely article. We don’t use our good plates, because my husband thinks they are ugly. I think they are precious because they were my great-grandmother’s who had had 28 grand-children. How so many pieces survived….I have no idea. :)
Laura commented on Nov 12 10 at 1:19 pmGrowing up I don’t think my mom ever used plastic or paper. We always used the good china and cloth napkins, even her vintage Jadeite was our everyday china. Not only was it fun but more economical in the long run. And all of us kids have done the same in our own families. Of course there are going to be things that break and that’s ok. It’s better to have used and enjoyed it rather than just letting it sit to collect dust. As for my glassware, I often go to the thrift shop and find nice stemware. The kids really enjoy using pretty glasses. Why not make dinnertime fun?! It’s the one time of day when we’re all sitting together and can catch up. You discover a lot of things at the table that are really important.
Nicola commented on Nov 12 10 at 1:45 pmI jsut love NieNie. She is such an inspiration to me! I used to be a very lazy cook – NieNie has taught me to pull out my apron and do better. She has taught me to celebrate the small things, everything. I count on her and the first thing I do everyday is read her blog.
Kelly commented on Nov 12 10 at 1:50 pmWe also make sure we have dinner together and make good conversation while we eat. I like the idea of fancy-ing up my table a bit, though. That’s just the touch I need to add to our routine! I think my husband and I are overly concerned with dirtying up too many dishes, so we drink from our Nalgene bottles most of the time. It just occurred to me that that doesn’t sound very nice! ; )
Debbie S. commented on Nov 12 10 at 2:19 pmI admire this beautiful woman so much and every single day she is an inspiration for me. My husband is dying because of terminal cancer and if there was a way to ‘go back’ in time…I’d certainly do a few things a little differently. But one I would never change is ‘family dinners’…every, every day. Not just once a week….but everyday. My children learned early on that dinner each night wasn’t gourmet, but it was exciting, interesting and more about US then about the food. NieNie is doing absolutely terrific…how blessed her family is, how blessed we all are that the Lord seen fit to keep her here!
And I think Ranee’s idea for little ones picking out their own dishes is an excellent idea!!! So many children now a days only know paperplates and plastic forks…how sad.
and YES…EVERYDAY is special.
Stay calm, be well and be grateful as the holiday season begins.
Julia commented on Nov 12 10 at 3:46 pmNie nie is just the best, and so inspiring. Love her and her beautiful family. Meal time at her home sounds so sweet, just like she is! I would love to be able to sit down at that table and share my favorite thing of the day :)
Stephanie commented on Nov 13 10 at 8:17 amNieNie is such an amazing mother and woman! Her blog has been an inspiration to me as I’ve become a mother.
Catherine commented on Nov 13 10 at 10:13 amThis was the way I was raised and the way we rasied our children. It is so refreshing to know that there are those families in this generation that are carrying on the tradition. It has been proven that a family who eats together has children who stay close and make good choices. Nie nie is an inspiration for all of us old and young.
Michele Scaife commented on Nov 13 10 at 11:10 amAmen! The return of family first and eating at the table starts one family at a time. Thank you for sharing your wonderful wonderful family with us!
vanessa commented on Nov 13 10 at 9:32 pmI love Nie’s blog. I think she is quite an inspiration, and that we can all learn from her. I was amazed how young (in years) that she is. We have been having more family dinners as of late, but I think that I will take the kids to the thrift store tomorrow to pick out their own plates. Great article.
Diane commented on Nov 15 10 at 6:21 amMore inspiration from Nie! What a difference she makes in my life. I am in a wheelchair and I have 1 usable limb, besides a bunch of other health problems. I am almost always by myself, but Nie’s blog makes me feel normal, and very alive. I think of new possibilities because of her, and I value my family and nature and creativity more.
I can never thank her enough for helping both me and my grown daughters who also follow Nie’s blog.
Thank you for the great ideas, and I marked this as a favorite site now. Bravo!
Robin Steele commented on Nov 15 10 at 11:34 pmI read all of NieNie’s posts. She is truly someone I admire for the goodness of her heart, tenacity, courage and bravery. She’s amazing!
kelli commented on Nov 16 10 at 2:56 pmi love nienie. truly an inspiration.
i am blessed with a mommy who is not only a wonderful person but a great cook. she instilled in me a love for home-cooked meals and veggies. i’ll never forget the first time she trusted me to make stuffed shells and salad with homemade croutons for the family, all by myself. i put so much care into the meal, it took all day to make!
there’s nothing like the smell of a home-cooked meal at the end of a trying day. so comforting, nourishing, and lovely to share a delicious meal with your loved ones.
Vickie commented on Nov 19 10 at 2:40 pmI have never met Stephanie Nielson but she is my touchstone as a wife and mother. Whenever I’m feeling frustrated, bored, tired or just plain sick of the day-to-day of it all (the days are long but the years are short, right?) I log on to her blog and get re-energized! Even when she has a tough day, and I am heartbroken for the pain she endures, it is always a wake up call to appreciate every moment and all the beauty and joy this life has to offer. God bless you, Nienie!!
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