Another Sunday hike in the Golden Aspens! Part 1

It's Sunday.... and we're ready for some football - right?

Hell No!..... We're in Santa Fe NM in October and that means Hiking....

In the autumn colors of the Sangre de Cristos.

But with the memory of last Sunday's painful descent still fresh in my mind, I was wandering how today would go.

But to put the walk in the talk, I figured I would try it again and see if the left knee was any better.

So I cranked up a little Black Sunday from the Black Label Society to get this party rolling!

As I was telling one of my hiking companions, Food is one of my passions.

And it ain't a Sunday hike without a specialty Sunday hiking meal.

As usual, let's start with a healthy spread of veggies - sweet onion, jalapeno, carrots and yellow squash.

And let's get the rest of this little food rodeo up to the starting gate - in line from  left to right:

• My specialty ground turkey breast mix wetted with a mix of egg, soy sauce, balsamic, sriracha and sweet mustard, seasoned with salt and pepper and a mixture of garam masala, hot madras curry powder, cumin and turmeric and with a generous portion of diced veggies.  You can call it a meat loaf mix or a veggie fortified lean meat mix or whatever.  I just call it when I need it for a tasty protein infusion into any meal.
• 3 eggs in a slurry of soy sauce, balsamic, sriracha and a splash of half and half.   It's a kicked up omelette mix.
• 1 already baked sweet potato diced and coated with cinnamon.
• And some TJ's Chicken Broth standing in the back.

Saute the veggies for 3 - 5 and then add a patty of the turkey mix and the sweet potato.

Mix and roll and cook for another 3 minutes.

Add just enough chicken broth to deglaze all the spice crust collected in the cast iron skillet and give the whole mix a little more moisture and flavor.

Then reduce the heat and add the kicked up omelette mix.

And roll until the eggs are done.

I'm not sure what you call this concoction but with the ingredients and spice profile, it kinda tastes like curry.

On the left the hiking portion.... On the right the rest for the after the hike portion.

And the rest of the hiking food party in the form of some heirloom carrots and a dried fruit and mixed nuts and sunflower seed mix.

Enough with the cooking, let's get this Hiking Show on the Road!

Our fearless leader Super Dave couldn't be there today but the Hiking Goddess Kay stepped right in to lead this rowdy bunch!

Unlike last Sunday, it was clear and breezy with a great view of the valley and mountains.

One of our clan pays homage to the vastness of what lies before her.

Yep - this is why I'm in Santa Fe!