HEALTHY NEW YEAR

On Christmas Eve I’d come down with a fever, so I put myself to bed and began taking Covid tests. After a few days, and several negative tests later, I felt like I was fighting a cold and could come out of quarantine.

A day later my son Alex and his girlfriend Chloe got sick. But when they took their Covid tests they both came up positive.

I was sitting on the couch listening to their persistent coughs in the other room.

“How are you doing it there?” I called to them.

“Hanging in!” Chloe called back.

“I think what we all need right now is for me to make a big batch of homemade chicken soup!” I grabbed by coat and car keys. “Anyone want anything else while I’m at the store?”

“Maybe some ginger ale.” Alex called. “My throat’s pretty sore.”

“Okay! Be right back!”

Wandering around the grocery store, collecting all the things I would need, I found myself in the soup isle ready to grab a few cartons of chicken stock. Next to the chicken stock I saw a box of chicken bone broth. Pulling both cartons off the shelf I tossed them both into my cart.

Once I was home I opened both containers and began pouring them into a pot. I could see the bone broth had a richer look to it than the stock.

When the chicken was finished cooking and was set aside on a cutting board to cool, I began chopping some carrots and celery.

My husband Steven came into the kitchen. “Already smells good in here!” he said as he walked by.

I held up the carton of bone broth. “Have you ever used this in any the the soups you’ve made?”

Steven looked over. “Sure. I used some beef bone broth in the beef stew I made last week.”

I tossed the empty carton into the trash and picked up the cutting board. Holding it over the pot I began pushing the carrots and celery I’d just chopped into the soup. “Well, this is the first time I’m using it. I hope it tastes good.”

“Of course it will. It also has more protein and minerals than regular stock has.”

Once the soup came to a low simmer I poured in some noodles, wanting them to absorb all the flavors.

“DINNER!” I called once the soup was ready.

Steven came in first. “Where are the kids eating?” He asked as he grabbed a bowl and went over to the pot to serve himself.

I shrugged my shoulders. “I guess they’re going to eat at the dining room table.”

Steven took his filled bowl, went to the drawer to grab a spoon and headed downstairs to watch television. “Good to know, I’ll be eating mine downstairs.”

Chloe and Alex came out of their room.

“Do you want us to wear masks?” Chloe asked as she stood in the doorway.

“You’re fine.” I placed two filled bowls on the dining room table along with some freshly toasted ciabatta bread. “You two eat in here.”

I went over and grabbed another bowl, filled it with soup for myself and headed for the living room.

“Hopefully, a couple of bowls of this will help get you both on the mend before the New Year!” I called over my shoulder.

“I’m feeling better already!” Chloe called.

“What about you, Alex?” I asked.

“I’ll keep you posted.” He said while he stifled a cough. He picked up his spoon and took a tiny sip of soup. “I do have to say this is making my throat feel better.” He took another sip. “Okay, I’m starting to feel some hope here.”