October Spotlight - Nedra!

Hi Everyone, this is Nedra Sorensen from Gilbert, Arizona!  I am an Original Member of the Bee’s Knees Quilting Bee that started wayyyy back when, in fact I submitted the name for our Bee. I love being part of this group and learn something new with every year.

I was raised in San Jose California, just south of San Francisco, but married a Utah boy where we raised our family.  We recently celebrated our 40^th Wedding Anniversary, have 5 children and 4 grandchildren.  We now call Arizona our home because our 2 oldest daughters and all of our grandchildren live here.  I love Arizona in the Winter. (enough said!)

I began quilting in 2000 and now work within the Industry doing a variety of things.  I help a Designer get ready for Quilt Market by piecing and binding many of her quilt tops with her latest fabric lines and patterns.  I also help a Vendor get ready for Shows, plus work her Booth at several National Shows throughout the year.  I love what I do!

I find most of my Inspiration through Instagram, and being part of several local quilt groups, including the Phoenix Modern Quilt Guild.  Quilty friends are the Best!  My favorite place in the World was being able to visit Israel and to feel the Culture and to walk the paths of our Savior Jesus Christ.  I’m passionate about Family History, and along with quilting work on it a little bit every day.  These are the people who contributed to everything I have and enjoy, and I feel a tremendous pull to remember and honor them.  My favorite movies are the Classics, when life was a little more simple and clean. I often quilt by Amazon, Netflix or Podcasts and go months without watching TV. Scanning the headlines on my News APPs is about all the shock my brain can handle.

When not quilting I spend most of my time with family, babysitting grandkids (smitten!) or volunteering with my Church. 

My latest craze has been cooking with an Instant Pot. I love good food, but would rather be quilting than cooking   I can hardly believe how fast and easy this appliance makes meal preparation!  I especially like that I can use frozen meat, or unsoaked beans, and have dinner ready in less than an hour, with one pot for clean up.  My kind of cooking!  Here is the first recipe I tried, and believe me, it’s that easy.

Instant Pot(R) Salsa Chicken

Recipe By:Tammy Lynn

"An Instant Pot(R) makes an easy weeknight meal even easier! Frozen chicken breasts are combined with taco seasoning and salsa for a tasty Mexican-themed meal. You can use the meat for tacos, burrito bowls, or as a topping for baked potatoes. So many possibilities! I used this the first night for chicken quesadillas. The second night I used it as a topping for baked potatoes with shredded cheese, pickled jalapenos, and sour cream."

Ingredients

·         1 pound frozen skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 

·         1 (1 ounce) packet taco seasoning mix 

·         1/2 cup salsa 

·         1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth 

Directions

1.      Place chicken breasts in an electric pressure cooker (such as Instant Pot(R)). Sprinkle all sides 

       with taco seasoning. Pour salsa and chicken broth on top.

2.      Place lid on the pot and lock in place. Select the Poultry setting and set the timer for 15 

      minutes. Allow pressure to release naturally after the cooking time has ended, about 20 

      minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the chicken should read at 

      least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Shred the cooked chicken.