Debbie Nix

The month of June has long been know as wedding month. I have always wondered how this particular month became know for love and romance and it turns out, it wasn’t just the wedding industry trying to sell us on summer weddings. June is known as the wedding month because it was named after the Roman goddess Juno, who is the goddess of marriage and a divine protectress of women. She is also associated with fertility and love.

During my time in the wedding business, June in our inviting mountain town was already a pretty full month with the racetrack opening, our Texas friends arriving, spring winds were finally dying down, and it’s warm enough that vegetation is greening up. If we are lucky, maybe an early summer rain has even washed the dust off of everything.

With the blessing of this welcome bit of moisture comes a sense of optimism for a summer filled with possibilities. It happens every year for me. I actually get a big jolt of excitement in the pit of my stomach for the coming summer season filled with activities and people I haven’t seen in a long while.

Speaking of excitement, wedding season is exciting and when I was researching summer recipes on Pinterest, up pops this Marry Me Chicken Pasta, not just one recipe option but a dozen or more variations. Mmmmm, could there be some truth to the old saying, the best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach? I’m all about equality and this phrase could just as easily apply to women too. What I know for sure is that you can never go wrong with a great meal cooked with love as its main ingredient, whomever is doing the cooking.

At this juncture of life I’m not looking to influence my partner into marrying me but I do need some help cleaning out the garage and building some shelves. Wonder if the magic of this dish will work for that? I think I’ll give it a go. I’ll let you know.

Marry Me Chicken Pasta

2 T. olive oil

3 chicken breasts thinly sliced into bite sized pieces

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. each of

black pepper

garlic powder

onion powder

paprika

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 tsp red pepper flakes

8 oz. dried penne pasta, or any pasta of your choice

Fresh basil, chopped for garnish

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.

Mix salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika.

Season chicken pieces with seasoning mixture.

Add chicken to skillet and cook till golden brown, 5-7 minutes.

Remove chicken and set aside.

In the same skillet, sauté minced garlic just till soft, add chicken broth, heavy cream, sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes and garlic.

Stir and bring to a simmer, continue to simmer while pasta cooks.

Cook pasta according to directions, drain and set aside.

Return chicken to same skillet, simmer five minutes until sauce thickens.

Add cooked pasta to skillet, toss to coat with sauce.

Garnish with fresh basil

Hope this helps with those wedding proposals and honey do projects.

Debbie Nix, longtime Ruidoso resident,

Lifecoach, foodie and romantic

Lifecoach@zianet.com