Eglin Air Force Base’s Award-Winning Food Service Keeps Military Well Fed

It’s no secret that the Emerald Coast has staked its claim as one of the top culinary wonders of the world, with numerous renowned chefs now living and working in the area.

But in the heart of the Panhandle, there is a different sort of food service program that soars far above average expectations.

The motto of the dining facilities team at Eglin Air Force Base in Fort Walton Beach is “Excellence … Our Standard, Not Our Goal.” It’s the passion behind this motto that recently won them the coveted Hennessy Award, recognizing the team’s commitment to provide quality service and food to customers.

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Tags: Eglin Air Force Base in Fort Walton Beach,Military Award-Winning Food Service
Categories: Cooking, Economy, Emerald Coast Living, Kitchen, Military
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Move Over, Boys: Women Are Discovering the Joys of Fishing Along the Emerald Coast

Hurricane Ivan changed Claudia Espenscheid’s life forever. The strongest storm of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season destroyed her home in Gulf Breeze, and her family found itself homeless. She quickly pulled herself up by her bootstraps, heading straight to a local bait and tackle shop, where she bought her first rod and reel. Far from where she is now as president and CEO of Fishin’ Chix, her only goal at that time was to fish to feed her family.

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Tags: Fishin’ Chix,Georgia Women’s Fly Fishing,International Women’s Fly Fishing association,Pensacola Beach Fishin’ Chix tournament,women in fishing
Categories: Fishing
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Needle Relief

Acupuncture, a Drug-free Alternative for Pain Management, Has Been Around for Centuries. Is It a Valid Therapy? And Is It Right for You?

Acupuncture. The term reminds many people of their first dreaded experiences with another kind of needle — the kind used in childhood vaccinations, which were likely painful and more than a little frightening. So when considering the notion that needles can decrease or eliminate virtually any ailment, those same people often are skeptical.

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Tags: Acupuncture,Acupuncture for cardiovascular disorders,Acupuncture has no side effects,Chinese medicine,Drug-free Alternative,IgM number,new alternative medicine,pathway to wellness,yin and yang
Categories: Health
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I have to admit, I was thrown a bit when my husband who was recently sent overseas for an extended work assignment informed me that natural stone was his chosen material for both the bathroom floor and the shower.

Now it wasn’t so much the idea of the natural stone as such but the fact that my husband was insisting on travertine tile: what on earth was that?
I turned to a professional husband and wife team, the owners and contractors of Delphin Design ( www.delphindesign.com ), to assist me with this particular project. This couple, were introduced to me by a close friend of mine who had contracted them to re-tile her kitchen.
My friend was so thrilled with the result and the way they had managed the project that, when she found out I needed somebody to tile my bathroom she suggested I contacted them at Delphin Design.
With the help of my husband I came up with the list of questions I could use when I met with Arthur and Agata.

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Tags: bathroom remodeling,destin tile,destin tile company,destin travertine tile installation company,glass tile care,glass tile installation,new bathroom tile,stone installation warranty,stone shower installation,travertine tile installation
Categories: Builders, Construction, Emerald Coast Living, Interior Design, Travertine Installation
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Get Back to Nature with Organic Lawn Products that Produce Lush Lawns and Earth-Friendly Benefits

Adopting a “green” lifestyle usually brings to mind taking eco-friendly steps such as improving how you heat and cool your home or choosing a more fuel-efficient vehicle. However, you also can minimize your impact on the planet by maintaining your lawn with products that promote a more environmentally sound way of life.

Last year, members of our Test Drive Team decided to try their green thumbs at lawn care. Our mission was to determine if organic weed-and-feed products could produce vibrant, lush, pest-free lawns that matched up against other lawns treated with synthetic chemicals.

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Tags: Cockadoodle Doo 4-Step Organic Lawn Care,Earth-Friendly Lawn Products,ECO Friendly,fish hydrolysate,fuel-efficient vehicle,green lifestyle,maintaining your lawn,Nature’s Turf,Neptune’s Harvest,Organic Lawn Fertilizer,Organic Lawn Products,organic weed-and-feed products,pest-free lawns
Categories: ECO Friendly
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Leave the Kids With Your Mother, Head to Henderson Park Inn and Get to Know Each Other Again

You’ve heard the term “staycation”? While many people are actually staying at home, others plan their vacation at a nearby location, reducing travel expenses but still taking a break from the daily routine.

An assignment to spend a night at the Henderson Park Inn, a romantic bed and breakfast on the beach in Destin, was my chance to experience the staycation phenomenon, but with an upscale twist — a suite ranges from $349 to $539 per night.

When innkeeper Ryan Olin suggested we come for the whole weekend to experience all the inn’s amenities, I thought, why not? Staying in B&Bs is a delightful way to immerse yourself in the local scene. The hosts are up to date on the best places to visit; whether you are looking for a specific type of restaurant, shopping or entertainment, there is ample time to talk with the staff about their favorite things to do — and they love to share.

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Tags: BeachWalk Cafe,Camille’s at Crystal Beach,Emerald Grande,Gravel Road Restaurant,Grayton Beach,HarborWalk,Henderson Beach State Park,Henderson Park Inn,Restaurant Fire
Categories: Emerald Coast Living
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It was a long weekend from school. My roommates and I were so excited! We had rented a beach house in Destin, Florida and being that Destin photography was our major course of study, we packed up our camera gear and were ready to explore this beauty for ourselves that we had marveled at on television and in books.

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Tags: beach house in Destin,Destin photography,florida,how to use underwater cameras,photographs of fishing shacks
Categories: Emerald Coast Living
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A rising musical talent, Destin’s Reed Waddle has always had an ear for music. Growing up along the Emerald Coast, his family was a musical one; the 26-year-old remembers with a laugh, “My father made me learn the guitar whether I wanted to or not.”

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Tags: Reed Waddle
Categories: Entertainment
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Choosing a Photography Studio in Destin Florida to Make Your Wedding Day Memorable

Don’t choose a photographer that merely takes usual snapshots. Go for a Recommended Destin photographer that will treat your wedding photos as if he or she were snapping pictures of their own wedding

All women and girls dream of that magical day when they are joined in matrimony with their true love. Some even have their weddings planned before they even have a prospective groom in the picture! Floridian girls from Destin have the benefit of choosing a beach wedding photographer for their special day and many take advantage of that fact.

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Tags: beach photographers,beach wedding photographer,destin beach photographers,destin photographers,photographers in destin
Categories: Photographers
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Walton County Financial Planner and Author Offers Abundant Business Advice During Troubling Economic Times

Buz Livingston might be considered a traditional small-business owner, but he’s one with a vast reach and a nickname that cannot be easily forgotten.

“I was a huge sports fan and took the nickname ‘Buz’ from several players, including one who played for the Georgia Bulldogs. I was in the fourth grade before I knew it should have two z’s,” he says.

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Tags: Blue Mountain Beach,Economy for Dummies,financial planning,financial planning firm,Investing in an Uncertain Economy for Dummies,Motley Fool,planning for retirement
Categories: Economy
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Sculpting Seaside

They transformed a scrubby beachfront into a new symbol of community, gave new life to the almost forgotten “cracker house” and popularized the idea of building homes in harmony with their environment.

Meet Robert and Daryl Davis, the boy from Birmingham, Ala., and the girl from Brooklyn who have been hailed worldwide as “true architectural connoisseurs.”

Together, they turned a grandfather’s vision into reality, transforming what some considered scrub wasteland and worthless sand into an architectural mecca. And they introduced the world to Scenic Highway 30-A and its world-class beaches.

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Tags: New Urbanism,seaside
Categories: Emerald Coast Living
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Custom Kitchen Cabinets in Destin, Florida

No matter what your budget might be, there is a style of kitchen cabinets to give your home a brand new look and the resale value you’ll enjoy.
The first step is to find a custom cabinetmaker.
Emerald Coast News pick of this coming season is The Design Studio-Fine Kitchens and Baths located in Fort Walton Beach ,Florida. We had a pleasure talking to leading Designer and Owner of The Design Studio, Stive Kotlowsky

Emerald Coast News: Custom kitchen cabinets are what every homeowner dreams of, but for those with the budget it can be a reality..

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Tags: affordable cabinets,cabinets design,cabinets Fort Walton Beach,custom cabinets destin,destin cabinets,destin custom cabinets,Fort Walton Beach,fort walton beach custom cabinets,kitchen cabinets,kitchen remodeling destin
Categories: custom cabinets
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Twelve hundred years ago, there was no city of Fort Walton Beach. The area where it now stands, however, was inhabited by a late-prehistoric culture of mound-building Indians who disappeared with the arrival of the first Europeans.

Known only by their place in a long archaeological timeline, these “Mississippi Era” peoples thrived throughout the southeastern, midwestern and eastern United States from approximately 800 A.D. to 1400 A.D. One of their colonies existed for a time on the Emerald Coast, and the lives of these early coastal dwellers are examined at the City of Fort Walton Beach Heritage Park and Cultural Center.

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Tags: coastal dwellers,Fort Walton Beach,Fort Walton Beach Heritage Park,Indian Temple,Mississippi Era
Categories: History
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Throw a Progressive Dinner Party

There’s nothing swankier than a fabulous dinner party – but from the food and drinks to the decorations, the cost can add up quickly. What’s a poor party lover to do?

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Tags: Progressive Dinner Party
Categories: Party Planning
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“You only live once” say the co-creators of the YOLO Board, Jeff Archer and Tom Losee.

 Both led successful lives in different parts of the country before moving to the Emerald Coast and founding the Santa Rosa Beach company in 2006. Since then, YOLO has quickly gained a reputation along the Emerald Coast and beyond as the paddleboard of choice for the fastest-growing water sport – stand-up paddleboarding.

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Tags: paddleboarding,stand-up paddleboarding
Categories: Sports
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