April 2018 News & Views
Look for News & Views in your inbox every month to see what's happening at Seabeck.
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A Message from the Director
I can't believe I have been Executive Director at Seabeck Conference Center for 10 years! Boy, has that time flown by. It really seems like four or five. This has been a busy decade. This campus has been transformed in many, many ways. I won't go into the lengthy list, you know them. That is thanks to our staff, board and donors. I can't believe what we have accomplished together. You know my favorite phrase to finish that thought...You ain't seen nothing yet!
Gloria and I traveled to Tustin, Michigan for the IACCA Super Seminar. I couldn't help but think about my travels in early April of 2008. I went to Little Rock, Arkansas to become a Certified Conference Center Administrator. I had been our Executive Director for 5 days. I was still a little scared and very excited. Now we are the old sages in the room. I did a webinar for IACCA last year and one of the reviews said they were tired of hearing the same old voices. When did that happen?
I am getting excited for our Seabeck 520 (May 20) event. It will take the place of the Annual Meeting. Please plan to attend. Registration info will be out in Mid-April. It will be our first salmon bake of the year. You won't want to miss it.
I have an exciting new guest amenity to announce. Beginning next month, we will offer free ice for our guests. We will have bags of various sizes available in a chest freezer by the Dining Room. That has become a common request and we feel the need to solve that need. Sizes will range from drink amounts to 8 lbs. First WiFi and now ice, watch out world here comes Seabeck.
Enjoy the Spring weather!
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Reducing Food Waste in America: What Can We Do?
Benefits of Reducing Wasted Food
- Saves money from buying less food.
- Reduces methane emissions from landfills and lowers your carbon footprint.
- Conserves energy and resources, preventing pollution involved in the growing, manufacturing, transporting, and selling food (not to mention hauling the food waste and then land-filling it).
- Supports your community by providing donated untouched food that would have otherwise gone to waste to those who might not have a steady food supply.
Planning Tips
By simply making a list with weekly meals in mind, you can save money and time and eat healthier food. If you buy no more than what you expect to use, you will be more likely to keep it fresh and use it all.
- Keep a running list of meals and their ingredients that your household already enjoys. That way, you can easily choose, shop for and prepare meals.
- Make your shopping list based on how many meals you'll eat at home. Will you eat out this week? How often?
- Plan your meals for the week before you go shopping and buy only the things needed for those meals.
- Include quantities on your shopping list noting how many meals you'll make with each item to avoid overbuying. For example: salad greens - enough for two lunches.
- Look in your refrigerator and cupboards first to avoid buying food you already have, make a list each week of what needs to be used up and plan upcoming meals around it.
- Buy only what you need and will use. Buying in bulk only saves money if you are able to use the food before it spoils.
Storage Tips
It is easy to overbuy or forget about fresh fruits and vegetables. Store fruits and vegetables for maximum freshness; they'll taste better and last longer, helping you to eat more of them.
- Find out how to store fruits and vegetables so they stay fresh longer inside or outside your refrigerator.
- Freeze, preserve, or can surplus fruits and vegetables - especially abundant seasonal produce.
- Many fruits give off natural gases as they ripen, making other nearby produce spoil faster. Store bananas, apples, and tomatoes by themselves, and store fruits and vegetables in different bins.
- Wait to wash berries until you want to eat them to prevent mold.
- If you like to eat fruit at room temperature, but it should be stored in the refrigerator for maximum freshness, take what you'll eat for the day out of the refrigerator in the morning.
Prep Tips
Prepare perishable foods soon after shopping. It will be easier to whip up meals or snacks later in the week, saving time, effort, and money.
- When you get home from the store, take the time to wash, dry, chop, dice, slice, and place your fresh food items in clear storage containers for snacks and easy cooking.
- Befriend your freezer and visit it often. For example,
- Freeze food such as bread, sliced fruit, or meat that you know you won't be able to eat in time.
- Cut your time in the kitchen by preparing and freezing meals ahead of time.
- Prepare and cook perishable items, then freeze them for use throughout the month.
- For example, bake and freeze chicken breasts or fry and freeze taco meat.
Thriftiness Tips
Be mindful of old ingredients and leftovers you need to use up. You'll waste less and may even find a new favorite dish.
- Shop in your refrigerator first! Cook or eat what you already have at home before buying more.
- Have produce that's past its prime? It may still be fine for cooking. Think soups, casseroles, stir fries, sauces, baked goods, pancakes or smoothies.
- If safe and healthy, use the edible parts of food that you normally do not eat. For example, stale bread can be used to make croutons, beet tops can be sauteed for a delicious side dish, and vegetable scraps can be made into stock.
- Learn the difference between"sell-by, "use-by, "best-by, and expiration dates.
- Are you likely to have leftovers from any of your meals? Plan an "eat the leftovers" night each week.
- Casseroles, stir-fries, frittatas, soups, and smoothies are great ways to use leftovers too. Search for websites that provide suggestions for using leftover ingredients.
- At restaurants, order only what you can finish by asking about portion sizes and be aware of side dishes included with entrees. Take home the leftovers and keep them for or to make your next meal.
- At all-you-can-eat buffets, take only what you can eat.
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Reducing Trash in America: What Can We Do?
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Look Who's at Seabeck When You're Not!
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The New Pines Campaign
We have a desire to continue to offer our services for many years to come. Seabeck Conference Center is happy to serve people like you, and we invite you to be a part of our legacy. Your donation will help us build a new Pines that will be a place for future generations to gather.
The new Pines will have flexible floor/bed
plans, 20 private bathrooms, two meeting rooms, spacious lobby, kitchen, conversation areas, increased accessibility, hidden parking, new plaza with seating and we are keeping the big trees.
All gifts are welcome. Seabeck Conference Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and your contribution may be tax deductible. If you have any questions, please contact our Executive Director, Chuck Kraining at (360) 830-5010 or email him at [email protected].
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