Fill a pitcher and refrigerate with the

When I was a child, my mother’s first response when I told her that I was feel ing unwell was always to make me chicken soup. Although the recipe changed a bit each time she made it, depending on what food was readily available in the house, eating that soup always made me feel better.

Although my mother acted out of instinct, based on generations of moms who have used chicken soup as a means to promote wellness, modern science has supported the idea that chicken soup can help to boost immune system function, both from the airway-cleansing powers of hot liquids, and the nutrient-rich benefits of the food used to make chicken soup. Recent studies have shown that the chicken meat and broth contain naturally-occurring chemicals that help to reduce inflammation. Additionally, the protein from the meat, fiber and nutrients from the vegetables, and healthy carbohydrates from the potatoes help provide the body with the fuel that it needs to help fight off infection.

This variation on a traditional Yemenite recipe showcases some items not usually found in many traditional chicken soups. Hawaij, a spice blend known for its antiinflammatory properties, further helps promote a healthy immune response. The sun-dried tomatoes not only provide a pop of flavor, but also give some additional immune-boosting response from the antioxidants it contains.

If you do not have hawaij on hand, you can easily make it using the recipe below, or can substitute the spice for an additional tablespoon of yellow curry powder.

Enjoy! ■

MB’S CHICKEN SOUP Recipe by MB

My take on a traditional Yemenite recipe, this chicken soup is nutrient-rich, easy to make, and best of all, delicious! It is a perfect choice for boosting immunity as well as for helping those who are feeling poorly to feel better!

Ingredients: • 4 boneless and skinless chicken breast halves, cubed • 3 Cups chicken stock • 4 russet potatoes, diced • 1 medium leek, chopped • 2 celery stalks, chopped • 2 large carrots, chopped • ½ cup sun dried tomatoes (dry pack) • 2 cloves (or 2-3 teaspoons) garlic, minced • 1 Tablespoon hawaij (recipe below) • 2 Tablespoons yellow curry powder • 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper • 1 Tablespoon dried sage • Salt and cracked black pepper to taste Directions:

Instant Pot: 1. Turn on saute setting. Add chopped chicken, potatoes, leek, celery, carrots, tomatoes, garlic, hawaij, curry powder, crushed red pepper, sage, and chicken stock to pot. 2. Turn off saute setting, and cover. Set vent to seal, then press manual setting, and set for 30 minutes. 3. When timer is done, either manually vent (using safety precautions to prevent burns), or allow to vent naturally. When venting is done, remove lid, turn to saute, and then stir contents of pot. Serve hot. Enjoy! Stove Top: 1. In large stock pot or dutch oven, add ½ cup of broth, then turn to medium-high. 2. Add minced garlic, and cook for 2 minutes. 3. Add cubed chicken, and cook until pink color is gone. 4. Add remaining ingredients, stir, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes (or until vegetables are soft), uncovering and stirring every 5 minutes to prevent sticking. 5. When vegetables are soft, season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve hot. Enjoy!

Nutritional Information: Serving size: 2 Cups | Servings per recipe: 8| Per Serving: 208 kCal, 3.1 g fat, 0.6 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat. | 28 g carbohydrates, 4.2 g fiber, 4.8 g. sugar | 18.1 g protein ■

— MB (Marybeth) Mitcham, MPH, Doctoral Candidate, Ph.D, is the Association Resource Educator for Nutrition, Food Safety, and Healthy Living at Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) Warren

County. The CCE monthly column seeks to promote healthy living in the North Country. For more information visit CCE Warren County at warren.cce.cornell.edu or Facebook: mem467@cornell.edu

By Tim Rowland STAFF WRITER

connectivity being one of the libraries’ most popular services, Wi-Fi passwords have been posted on the doors so people can patch in to the service from their cars.

Temporary library cards are available online, allowing new customers to borrow materials electronically and access rich troves of research material.

PLATTSBURGH | An early casualty of state shutdown orders was a French conversation group that had been held monthly in a small meeting room in the Plattsburgh Public Library. But its demise was fleeting. The group wriggled out from the confines of isolation by meeting virtually, allowing members of the public to brush up on their French, chat about cultural issues and make new friends from the safety of their own homes.

If anything, the conversation group, facilitated by Anne Jobin-Picard, a librarian with the Clinton-Essex-Franklin Library System, is even more accessible now than it was before, when joining the group required a trip to Plattsburgh.

With people confined to their homes, libraries big and small have stepped up with life-enriching diversions, from ebooks to virtual storytimes to vast research databases of any topic imaginable.

“This is the silver lining of the stayat-home order,” said Steve Kenworthy, director of the CES Library System. “People have the time and need to explore services they can employ at home.”

In some ways, libraries have been preparing for this day for a long time, as it became apparent that a building full of books was not going to be sustainable through the 21st century. They began lending out other items, from sewing machines to fishing poles to holiday cookie cutters.

And they focused on activities — such as connecting with other readers, or learning a foreign language — and electronics that have been easily transferable to home environments.

“Libraries are so much more than brick and mortar storefronts that check out physical books,” Kenworthy said. “And of course, what is getting attention now, is a wide array of virtual, online resources — providing wireless access to the internet, research databases, eBooks, eAudiobooks, and much more.”

Even with libraries closed, they have found creative ways to meet community needs. Some have left stacks of books on the porch for the taking. Storytimes have been put up on YouTube. And, Internet

“Many of our member libraries are extending virtual services during this period of social distancing,” Kenworthy said. “For example we have joined with the Northern New York Library Network to beef up our eBook and eAudiobook collections. There are online storytimes from publishers and authors that are free for the looking. And we also have online resources for those who suddenly find themselves looking for a new job.”

Along with a compelling suite of services, Jobin-Picard said libraries have a singular ability to connect people in a time of isolation. Libraries provide a mechanism for people to virtually gather for a program and “provide an intellectual activity for people, and some normalcy during this health crisis,” she said.

Jobin-Picard said the health crisis has given libraries a new relevance, and demonstrated the commitment librarians have to the people in their communities. It has also shown “how resilient and adaptable libraries are, and can be, to the needs of their communities during unusual times.”

Kenworthy said firm numbers have yet to be compiled, “but our sense is that there is a substantial increase on visits to our website and use of our online resources.”

Libraries hope, once the public rediscovers what they have to offer, that they will have a new and permanent constituency after the pandemic has passed. “A person could do worse than have their local library’s web page as their personal home page,” Kenworthy said. ■ Like other libraries, the Wells Memorial Library in Upper Jay has had to close its during the pandemic, but a wealth of activities are available online. Photo by Tim Rowland

Across 1. City map abbr. 4. Frankfurter 7. Food fish of Japan 10. Early spring bloomer with white yellow or purple flowers 16. Fun house sounds 18. Duran Duran hit single 19. “__ of a Woman” movie 21. Santa has one 22. Vaulable possession, but too expensive 25. Game 26. Strangely 27. Oxford, for example 28. Chinese money 29. Back in 30. Nagy of Hungary 31. Wall in 34. Dry 37. Surgery sites, for short 39. Stanzas of six 42. Impressive array 46. Sounds of disapproval 48. Nissan model 49. Loving good food 51. Attention getters 53. Dusk, to Donne 54. Military specialist 56. Colorful flower 60. High school exam 61. Sky-blue 63. Sincere 64. Defraud 68. Scarf 69. Chess piece 70. Calling 73. Healthcare benefits giant 76. Whitney and others, abbr. 79. Large omnivores 81. Night sky sight 86. Feel bad 87. Fat letters 88. Tension-filled sports contest 89. First-aid item 93. Penultimate fairy tale word 96. Hotel offering 97. Venezuela river 99. Golf Club employee 100. Actor Mineo 101. Bahamas’ capital 103. “Just _____ bit” 106. Demean 111. Jazz singer James 112. Male and female 114. Muffin bit 115. National bird of

Canada 119. Mountain ground cover 121. Openings 122. Body 123. Whitish 124. Utah’s white or yellow state flower 125. Great one in film 126. Sault ___ Marie 127. Educator Bill 128. One with a six-yr. term Down 1. Paul Bunyan, at times 2. Snicker 3. Get around 4. Nest of a squirrel 5. Spa liquid 6. Takes off 7. Camping enthusiasts 8. Orkin target 9. Tagged player 10. Whips up 11. Clown accessory 12. Strange 13. “Evita” role 14. Emirates, for short 15. Narrow waterway, abbr. 17. Brouhaha 19. Adjusting strip 20. Orange vegetable 23. Rock group from the 70s 24. 21st letter of Greek alphabet 25. Leaks 28. You, old way 32. K2, e.g.: Abbr. 33. E. Indian pepper plants 34. Kind of apple 35. D’Artagnan’s weapon of choice 36. Healer Barton 38. Kind of terrier 40. Help medically 41. Warbled 42. What the clown got 43. Get a perfect score 44. Sally Field’s role 45. California’s Santa ___

Mountains 47. One and only 49. Instigate 50. Historic opening? 52. Strong rebuke 55. Big brass 56. “Easter 1916” poet 57. “. . . a man ___ mouse?” 58. Vane dir. 59. Swamp 62. 1973 court name 64. Fiddle stick 65. Bed-and-breakfast 66. Women’s __ 67. Pad or cap starter 70. Monastic officer 71. Exercise restraint 72. Pool or polo 74. Morning hour 75. Alda and Ladd 76. Dusty speck 77. Swimming pool tester 78. Elder 79. TV actor, Scott 80. Common request 82. Admission document 83. 12th Jewish month 84. Baseball stat 85. Baseball equipment 90. Feminizing suffix 91. Procedure that you might see on “Nip Tuck” 92. Bliss 94. Chalkboard correction 95. Crew members 98. Like Cheerios 102. Dr No star (Bond girl) initials 104. Public exhibition 105. Unagi, at a sushi bar 106. Car club 107. Bridle parts 108. Contents of some urns 109. “Under __” 1992 Steven Seagal film 110. 2005 documentary subtitled “The Smartest

Guys in the Room” 113. Iced, with “up” 114. “The Thomas Crown

Affair” costar Russo 115. Musician’s engagement 116. Cellular material 117. Fig. at the bar 118. Calendar spans, abbr. 119. Kitty 120. Cow chow 122. Famous poet’s initial initials COLORFUL by Myles Mellor • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ••• See anSwerS to our puzzleS in the claSSifiedS ••• Complete the grids each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9 SUDOKU by Myles Mellor and Susan Flanagan Each Sudoku puzzle consists of a 9X9 grid that has been subdivided into nine smaller grids of 3X3 squares. To solve the puzzle each row, column and box must contain each of the numbers 1 to 9. Puzzles come in three grades: easy, medium and difficult. Level: Medium 965 7 2 3 6 45 8 69857 3 1 59427 1 92 8 6 1 6 438 WORD SEARCH SUDOKU WORD SEARCH by Myles Mellor Locate the words listed by the puzzle. They may be horizontal, vertical or diagonal in any direction. Circle each word as you find it. V H S V U BMA P S B CH EWH P S A E C A A R E I WOV E N Y CCR P L A R R E A H E A R DWD R N I O I VDAYACOAST TDO I SVT T ESA I TUSDHNEPALA I EE PRSUS T TRUTHMS L F L CO PAHNUEMATS L SHNE I T L SRCOSHMOMA T HOE E Z EU YUCEAEPCCS I TRSAADC OSOUT L I NESNHESAT TK GHN I I DENT I F I CAT I ON HGTNS I XTH I ERSOLOLO UPRRFC I TSBLDATANPS RU I E I A T ROT T EDMKC TW TFBSENCLCSTABLE I HH U F U N D T G T B UWE A R S N T E SMT OUR E AW I T HOU T CN E BREAKECDSTCSLAPHSL Acute Arab Ashore Asia Aunt Bees Felt Frame Fund Globe Greeted Heads Music Neat Nests Outlines Pace Porch Stable Stop Suit Teddy Thin Third Acute Arab Ashore Asia Aunt Bees Break Cabs Calm Can’t Chalk Chew Chip Civilization Coach Coast Contribute Cuts Data Dial Dust Eats Exit Fact Felt Frame Fund Globe Greeted Heads Heard Heat Held Host Hutch Identification Illness Inch Into Item Kite Lake Lets Luck Main Maps Math Mats Music Neat Nests Outlines Pace Porch Potted Prayer Protected Puff Ring Rush Safe Sails Satisfied Scouts Shut Sits Sixth Slap Solo Sore Sort Spite Stable Stop Suit Teddy Thin Third Tile Tour Trotted Truth Turn Valve Vary Very Wears Wheel Without Wolf Woven Yoghurt