January 2010 Newsletter
Volume 4, No 1
From our house to yours ~ Seaside's staff and management extend a warm New Year's greetings to you!
Are you staying warm where you are? In almost every neighborhood in the U. S., January began as a bitter blast of cold air. For those of us here on the Carolina coast, the 20's were a little nippier than usual. While we saw the sun most of the time and enjoyed its warmth radiating through windows, going outside meant layering clothing, wearing gloves, and moving from one hot beverage source to another.
By mid-month, however, we were back in short sleeves with a light jacket to ward off any lingering chill. Still with fluctuations from the 30's to the 60's, we welcome all incoming sunbeams with their diamond-sparkle effect bouncing off the ocean waters. Shell-hunters, surfers, barefoot afternoon shoreline hikers, and others enjoy treks outside to the beach at any time of year! Can we look for you out here, too?
Moving from late winter on to spring with expectations for a fresh start in 2010, we at Seaside are busily sprucing up for the vacation seasons of the months ahead. Watch for our exciting pre-season special package offers that will save money if you make your spring and summer vacation plans now.
Your friends at SeaSide
News and Happenings at Seaside
Facebook at Seaside
Take a look at us on Facebook when you are surfing the Internet. We put lots of useful information there as events come up, so we hope that you will choose to be our "friend" on this social networking site where you can find out more about our special savings opportunities for get-away vacations, long weekends, and even summer vacations. Our last-minute package deals, activities that are not announced anywhere else, appear there, too, plus many other tidbits about life here on the beach.
Facebook is a place where we can let you know what is going as things happen, such as dolphin sightings just off shore, fishing season news, and events such as the circus coming to town.
Check us out here!
Seaside's Holiday Party
The employees of Seaside got together at the end of last month to celebrate Christmas, New Year's and everything in between. Here are some of the photos showing the wonderful food they brought and good times that they had at this seasonal event.
Featured Recipe - Roasted Banana Bars with Browned Butter-Pecan Frosting
From Cooking Light, this recipe produces a delicious 2 dozen bars, great for weekend snacks, even the Super Bowl festivities.
Ingredients for the bars
- 2 cups sliced ripe bananas (about 3 medium)
- 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
- 2 1/4 cups cake flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 cup nonfat buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- Baking spray with flour
Ingredients for the Frosting:
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup (3 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- To prepare bars, combine banana, brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon butter in an 8-inch square baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees F for 35 minutes, stirring after 17 minutes. Cool slightly.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 375 deg.
- Weigh or lightly spoon cake flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 9 ounces of flour (about 2 1/4 cups), baking soda, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Combine the banana mixture, buttermilk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla in another medium bowl.
- Place 1/2 cup butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs to granulated sugar mixture; mix well. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternating with banana mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
- Pour batter into a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with baking spray. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
- To prepare frosting, melt 1/4 cup butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; cook 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly. Combine browned butter, powdered sugar, cream cheese, and 1 teaspoon vanilla in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer until smooth. Spread frosting over cooled bars. Sprinkle with pecans.
Tip: Brown the butter in a saucepan to enhance its richness, thus eliminating the need for full-fat creamed cheese.
Welcoming Groups to Seaside
If you traveled to Seaside as part of a group this year, perhaps one of the items on your list of Thanksgiving blessings is the joy of your group experience:
- The companionship of your fellow travelers
- Having assistance in making the travel plans
- Gaining discounts from group travel
- Access to some of our places to see and things to do.
Thank you very much for choosing us to be your place of respite, and we invite you to return, either as a group or perhaps with your loved ones in a holiday setting.
Thank you, Park Place Baptist Church, for selecting us as your accommodations this past month!
Local Events Calendar - January 2010
Click here to see just some of the events and activities for our Grand Strand area. We're not just a summertime spot! We're happening year 'round!
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Guest Comments
Hearing from guests helps us to know more details about what people want in their stay at the beach. Here are a few of the recent messages that we received from guests:
Stayed at quite a few places over the years in Myrtle Beach for the guys weekend golf trip. Our favorite is the Seaside, beautiful accommodations and cannot beat the price. Only small minus is continental breakfast [wanted more], but I am sure it is worked into the reasonable pricing. Kathy, our Golf Coordinator is the best!
Guest comment on TripAdvisor.com from "Pnalbach" in NJ, 12.15.09.
A great view of the ocean. Very friendly staff. Clean rooms. Adequate parking. Great breakfast.
Guest comment on TripAdvisor.com from "Busybody65" from Goldsboro, NC, 12.14.09.
The 3 bedrooms apt. was beautiful with terrifically large balcony affording excellent views of beach, water, and town. All needed items were supplied---and were nice, not cheesy mismatches. A nice touch was the huge breakfast selection which they allowed you to take back to the room--even supplied coffee in the room. Enjoyed Seaside's greatly, friendly staff. Good selection for continental breakfast. Comfortable accommodations with great views. Will stay there again and would recommend to others.
Guest comment on Expedia.com from NC guest, 07.29.09.
Nice hotel, nice facilities, nice staff, nice view, nice breakfast. All and all we had a very nice stay and would go back.
Guest comment on Expedia.com from NY guest, 03.31.09.
Fun Facts
The ampersand (&) was once a letter of the English alphabet. It is now just a symbol, not even a word.
America once issued a 5-cent paper bill.
Honeybees have hair on their eyes.
A snail can sleep for three years.
Butterflies smell with their feet.
A notch in a tree will remain the same distance from the ground as the tree grows.
The avocado has the most calories of any fruit.
In addition to its potassium and vitamin C, pomegranates provide fiber and are low in calories.
Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon with his left foot first.
The entire population of the world can live within the state boundaries of the state of Texas. Our source did not mention the word "comfortably" in this same context.
Washington State has the longest single beach in the United States, called appropriately "Long Beach."
Iceland has the highest concentration of broadband users in the world.
Britain is still paying off national debts that predate the Napoleonic wars because doing so is less expensive than buying back the bonds on which the debts are based.
Music can help reduce chronic pain by more than 20% and can alleviate depression by up to 25%.
The country of Monaco has more individuals in its national orchestra than in its army.
Your thumb is the same length as your nose.
The 2010 Winter Olympics began in Vancouver on February 12 and run through the 28th. Follow them on http://www.vancouver2010.com. Did you know that caffeine is on the International Olympic Committee's list of prohibited substances?
A beauty practice especially popular in Japan includes washing the skin using coffee grounds fermented with pineapple pulp to improve skin texture and reduce wrinkles.
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