Hiking and Baking: The Sequel

The plot is the same, the characters haven't changed, but the content is slightly different - it's a sequel! Last Friday, Jen, Clare, and I went for a hike up Mount Sanitas in the morning and then planned to make pies in the afternoon. This time we had an addition to our cast - little Soren, who turned out to be the antagonist in this chapter of the movie. :)
The trailhead for the Mount Sanitas hike was slightly misleading; it appeared to be a gradually rising rocky path that promised a comfy stroll up the mountain. But to the surprise of your heroines, what lay ahead were many twists, turns, and challenges.

The way ahead became rocky and treacherous to any who weren't sure-footed. Our tiny antagonist was having a grumpy day and was very upset about riding in his backpack chair. Could your heroines manage to keep the group in a cheery mood, despite the challenges they faced? Fate hung in the balance...

Our little group finally reached the pinnacle, and stopped to replenish our strength. We sipped the magic electrolyte-replacing water in our canteens and breathed the fresh air. We had conquered the ascent of the mountain, and yet we still had one more challenge ahead of us - keeping the antagonist from drawing us all to the dark side!

All of a sudden, a wonderful idea, like a shaft of light from heaven struck our weary group! In a moment of sheer genius, we began to sing:

"The wheels on the bus go round and round,
round and round,
round and round.
The wheels on the bus go round and round,
all through the town."

We continued on, singing verse after verse in our loudest voices, and the antagonist managed to start smiling again. The rain cloud over his head disappeared, and the day was saved! Who knew that a song about a bus could be the happy ending to our story!

And now, on to the pie-making! Clare decided to "throw" together a chicken pot pie from scratch. Jen and I were in charge of the dessert, and chose to make a strawberry/raspberry crisp instead of pie.
Clare thought it would be cool to make the top of the pot pie in a basket weave fashion.

For the filling, we added peas, carrots, onions, zucchini, yellow squash, garlic, and chicken (of course). I helped Clare add the perfect amount of flour until the filling was just the right consistency.

We carefully applied the basket-weave top and painted it with egg whites. Into the oven it went, and we waited with great anticipation to taste this culinary work of art!

Our strawberry/raspberry crisps came out of the oven first. It was extremely difficult not to eat them while we were waiting for the chicken pot pie!


Despite our misty morning hike, it turned out to be a beautifully sunny day. We put the pie and crisps out on the balcony to cool, and then decided to eat out on Jen's deck. The pot pie turned out to be the best chicken pot pie any of us had ever tasted! And with a little dollop of whipped cream, the crisps were the perfect ending to another adventure.

Will there be another installment of "Hiking and Baking"? I guess we'll all just have to wait and see...