caution tape and chicken with a kick

Recently, the Capital Area Greenway Trail has been extended to our neck of the woods, which is super exciting. Mike and I normally have to drive to an area where we can run since it gets pretty boring running through the neighborhood all the time. But now, we can get to an awesome trail from our front door!


Weeeeellllll, technically.... the trail hasn't opened yet. The access to the trail is still all muddy (remember my muddy Nikes?) and there is a lot of caution tape everywhere that has clearly been knocked down by others just like us. So far, we love the trail. It runs behind our house and right along the Neuse River. There are some parts where the water is very visible, but any type of running in nature makes me really happy.

We can get about 4 miles by going to each of the trails end points and back to our house, which is perfect for quick evening runs. There are lots of bridges, which are fun, and the trail is actually super wide. I can't wait until it is complete and we can actually get to other sections of the greenway from our house. I also think (hope) this is going to be a great selling point for our house, when the time comes. 

It is pretty amazing how quickly they are adding on to it. One day, we came to a bridge that literally just dropped off in the middle and now it is complete. I know we are kinda breaking the rules by going out on the trail before it has actually opened, but we have seen a lot of others back there, riding bikes and walking, so I think it is OK. :) We are really careful and don't go where it looks dangerous or unfinished.

I even got to see a beaver back there! I have never seen a beaver in real life before, so it was a pretty cool sight. You can't really tell in this picture, but he hiding up in the tree.

We haven't taken the dogs for a walk back there yet, but I am really looking forward to doing that this fall. I think it is a great thing that Raleigh is doing and I am really excited we are going to have such easy access to an amazing trail. I am sure once it is complete there will be many more miles to explore, so we are just enjoying it piece by piece.

I have another great, quick recipe for you!

Usually, by the time I get home, I am starving and that makes it hard to make decisions on the type of recipe I want to use. I told Mike we would need to use up the following items from our kitchen, before they went bad; green cabbage, butternut squash, an avocado, and chicken. He jokingly said, "avacodo-lime chicken with the cabbage and squash on the side." I kind of laughed, thinking that didn't really sound like a real recipe... but then I decided it was a pretty good idea. He gets one every once in a while. ;)

grilled chicken with a kick

boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (I made 3 so we had leftovers)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime Seasoning
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 avocado, sliced

Mix all of the seasonings into a small bowl and rub the mixture onto the chicken breasts. I barely coated each side of the chicken breasts. Pan fry the chicken in the olive oil until the chicken is cooked through (juices run clear). Once the chicken is cooked, serve with fresh avocado slices on top.

Seriously, that easy. And soooo delicious with just the right amount of kick! For the butternut squash, I always make it the same way. Cut vertically, clean out seeds, poke holes in the skin, brush with olive oil, place cut side down in a baking dish with just a little water at the bottom. Cook on 350 F for about 40 minutes until tender. For the cabbage, chop into bite size pieces, saute with olive oil, sea salt, and pepper until tender.

Have an awesome weekend everyone!