Radicchio Salad with Hazelnut Brittle, Apple, and Blue Cheese | Gulf Coast Seasonal Recipe

Radicchio Salad with Hazelnut Brittle, Apple, and Blue Cheese

I love having a seasonal salad on the table that feels a little dressed up but still easy enough for a weeknight. This radicchio salad does exactly that. Bitter radicchio, a sweet, crisp apple, tangy blue cheese, and a crunchy hazelnut brittle all come together with a simple honey–Dijon vinaigrette.

It holds up well, so it is easy to take to a friend’s house or tuck into the fridge for a quick lunch the next day.

Ingredients

For the hazelnut brittle

• 3/4 cup whole hazelnuts
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon water
• Pinch of kosher salt

For the honey–Dijon vinaigrette

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons white wine…

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Preparing Gulf Coast Homes For The Early December Arctic Chill

Thursday, November 27, 2025: Weather for Orange Beach, Baldwin County: Current Conditions: Clear, 48°F (9°C)

Daily Forecast

* Tuesday, December 2: Low: 40°F (4°C), High: 58°F (15°C), Description: Breezy in the morning with periods of rain; otherwise, mostly cloudy

* Wednesday, December 3: Low: 44°F (7°C), High: 58°F (14°C), Description: Sunshine

* Thursday, December 4: Low: 53°F (12°C), High: 61°F (16°C), Description: Sun through high clouds

* Friday, December 5: Low: 58°F (15°C), High: 64°F (18°C), Description: Mostly cloudy in the morning followed by sun through high clouds

* Saturday, December 6: Low: 63°F (17°C), High: 71°F (22°C), Description: A thunderstorm on the prowl in the morning; otherwise, cloudy most of the time

…

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Ono Island Waterfront Construction: How a New Home Starts With Sand, Pilings, and Site Work

Watching a Waterfront Home Take Shape on Ono Island

Home construction has always been intriguing to me, especially on Ono Island. The engineering, the elevation work, the way a simple sand pad slowly becomes a home – it all tells a story long before the first front door goes in.

Today I took a walk through my neighborhood here on the island and stopped at a waterfront lot that is just beginning its journey. No walls yet, no rooflines – just clean white sand, tall pilings, and two hardworking excavators under that clear Gulf Coast sky. It is the kind of scene that many people drive past without a second thought, but to me it feels like the opening chapter of someone’s waterfront dream.

First Impressions: Sand, Machinery, and Big…

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How to Refresh a Tired Orange Beach Gulf-Front Condo

A Gulf-Front Showing, a Gentle Pass, and a Clear Gameplan for Refreshing a “Tired” Condo

Yesterday afternoon I unlocked the door to a gulf-front Orange Beach condo with a sweet couple from Daphne, Alabama. We stepped inside with that familiar coastal hush around us — the faint brine in the air, the soft light coming off the water, and that quiet anticipation buyers always carry when they’re hoping a place might be “the one.”

The view was beautiful, but from the living room you could tell it wasn’t quite as direct oceanfront as they wanted. Still, we took our time. We walked the space the way I always do: slowly, looking past what’s there today and into what it could become with the right intention.

The condo had good bones, but it felt…

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Corn Maque Choux Recipe Gulf Coast Style | Louisiana Skillet Corn Side

Corn Maque Choux, Gulf Coast Style

There are certain dishes that taste like a coastline with a little Louisiana swagger stirred in. Maque choux (pronounced “mock-shoe”) is one of those. It’s a traditional braised corn-and-vegetable skillet dish that shows up across South Louisiana, and down here on the Gulf it feels right at home alongside grilled shrimp, blackened fish, or even a simple roast chicken on a breezy evening.

I learned this version through Emeril Lagasse’s Corn Maque Choux. Emeril keeps it classic with sweet corn, onion, bell pepper, a kiss of cayenne, and that slow, buttery braise that yields…

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Turtle-Friendly Lighting Orange Beach Condos | Rules, Fines, and Compliance

Turtle-Friendly Lighting on the Orange Beach Coast: What Condo Owners and HOAs Need to Know

Along our Gulf-front shoreline in Orange Beach, sea turtle nesting season is part of the natural calendar. Every year, from roughly May through October, adult turtles come ashore to nest, and hatchlings emerge at night and make their first run to the water. What many condo owners do not realize until they read their rules packet is that balcony and exterior lighting can quietly determine whether those hatchlings make it to the Gulf.

That single fact explains why so many Gulf-front…

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Orange Beach Condo Rules Guide | Parking, Pools, Pets, Balconies

Condo Living in Orange Beach, Alabama: The Practical Rules You Should Know Before You Buy, Rent, or Host Guests

When I help someone compare condos in Orange Beach, the first thing I say is this: every building has its own rhythm, and most of that rhythm comes from the rules. Some rules feel simple on paper, but they shape everyday life in real ways, especially in a beachfront setting where parking, pools, balconies, and shared spaces all matter.

Below is a general, Orange Beach-specific guide based on the kinds of condo regulations I see most often across the market. These policies are typical, but always confirm the exact rules in your building’s official packet before you sign anything.

1. Common Areas Are Private, Not Public

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Gulf Coast Lump Crab Cakes with Asparagus and a Bright Lemon Wine Sauce

Gulf Coast Lump Crab Cakes with Asparagus and a Bright Lemon Sauce

When I am craving something that tastes like the Gulf itself, I make lump crab cakes and keep them clean, simple, and crab-forward. I have said this a hundred times to friends and neighbors: the best crab cake is barely held together. It should feel like sweet, delicate crab with just enough binder to keep its shape.

This version adds tender asparagus on the side and a lemon sauce that brings everything to life. It is the kind of dinner I love serving when the air is soft outside and you want food that feels coastal, effortless, and quietly elegant.

“A great crab cake is not about what you add. It is about what you refuse to add.”

Ingredients

For the Gulf…

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Orange Beach Thanksgiving Vacation: Mild Weather, Great Food, and Gulf Views

Orange Beach Thanksgiving Vacation: Mild Weather, Great Food, and Gulf Views

I am often asked whether Thanksgiving is a good time to visit Orange Beach, Alabama. My answer is a confident yes, especially if you love mild weather, slower-paced days, and sunsets that feel a little more golden as the year winds down.

From balconies or while walking the shoreline, late November feels like the Gulf Coast exhaling after a busy season. The air is cooler but still comfortable, the water still shimmers that soft emerald-blue, and the community shifts into a relaxed holiday rhythm that I always look forward to.

What the Weather Really Feels Like in Late November

When you picture a beach trip, you might think of peak-summer heat, but …

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Frog Pond Sunday Social at Blue Moon Farm | Gulf Coast Music

Frog Pond Sunday Social at Blue Moon Farm | Gulf Coast Music

By Meredith Folger Amon 

Last Sunday, beneath a towering cedar at Blue Moon Farm, the world seemed to narrow to one clearing, one modest wooden stage, and the low murmur of voices finding their places. I walked in with my dear friends Sandy and Glenda, slipping through the gate with my hands already full; copies of Coastal Lifestyle Magazine featuring my new Frog Pond article tucked under one arm and a few Southern comforts in the other—as the three of us eased into the crowd. 

The lawn had become a patchwork of quilts, camp chairs, and wide brims angled toward the stage, but we never truly settled in one spot,  drifting instead from conversation to conversation, greeting old…

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