Living The Season: Hot Mulled Apple Cider

Apple picking is an autumn tradition for many New England families.  The parents herd all the children into the car and head out across the hills and valleys of winding country roads. 

The apple orchards exude colonial storybook qualities.  Gnarled trees, ripe with fruit, stretch out in a semi-symmetric maze.   Tourists with wooden bushel baskets walk amidst the rickety barns and log fences.  Migrant harvesters with their wheelbarrows and ladders tend to their seasonal employment.  Most often there's a petting zoo on the premises where the children torment innocent farm animals.  Sometimes a hayride pulled by a tractor will serve as the mode of transport to the main picking area.  The journey is bumpy, with rustic scents of mud, falling leaves, and farm animals giving way to fresh air among the apple trees.

Read more: Living the Season - Hot Mulled Apple Cider

There are several books detailing the history of Cape Coral, Florida. However, none of them are as pictorially comprehensive as the recently released Images of America - Cape Coral from Arcadia Publishing. Local journalist, Chris Wadsworth, joins forces with Anne Cull, curator of the Cape Coral Historical Museum, and the end result of their efforts is an attractive and impressively compiled volume deserving of space on any Cape Coral bookshelf.

Read more: Images of America - Cape Coral

Unforgettable sunsets are one of the premier amenities of living in Southwest Florida. 

People line up just about every evening at some of the local sunset hot-spots to relax and take in the magnificence and unique beauty of this celestial event.  On Fort Myers Beach you'll find laid back crowds claiming space on the pier as live music from the Beach Pierside Grill sets the tone for the festivities.  On Captiva, the destination is always the beach in front of the Mucky Duck with pints of Guinness and clusters of like-minded individuals who love to applaud the successful completion of, yet, another regularly scheduled natural rhythm.  Cape Coral has its own well-organized "Sunset Celebration on the Pier" down at the Yacht Club Basin on the first Wednesday of every month.  There you'll find musicians, food, and craft vendors.

But, there's something about seeing a sunset from the water which adds a whole new dimension of appreciation to this daily occurrence.  Did you know there's a sunset cruise you can board without ever having to leave the Cape?

Read more: Cape Coral Sunset Cruises

Hogfish (also called Hog Snapper) is a well-kept secret, the "Cadillac" of the local fresh-fish scene, a true South-Florida delicacy.  It is considered by many serious seafood aficionados to be one of the tastiest of all reef fish. 

Hogfish is highly-prized for its firm, alabaster flesh which flakes apart nicely.  The flavor is mild with subtle sweet undertones.  Although many purists would maintain it should only be prepared pan-seared with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, Hogfish is a very versatile fish and works well baked, grilled, marinated, or smothered in a tasty sauce.

Read more: Hogfish from Matlacha Pass