French, Fish and First Class Views: Not to Miss Venues to Get Your Fill

Introducing a few new Grand Cayman restaurants in 2015. In no particular order they all offer a pleasant dining atmosphere whilst delivering you culinary delight.

Morgan's
Some of you might remember the restaurant Morgans, that used to be up at Morgan's Harbor, well this is the new and improved Morgans! With a view equal to the old venue, the new restaurant is bigger, with a more diverse menu, and sits at the water's edge at the Cayman Islands Yacht Club. From fresh caught seafood, to chicken Schnitzel, you are sure to find a delicious dish on the menu.

Photo credit: Stephen Maciolek and Morgan's

Catch
The venue that USED to be Morgan's... is now Catch! I know it is only slightly confusing but not to worry either one you choose you can't go wrong. Catch also has super fresh seafood, the owners have certainly achieved their goal to serve only the freshest catch... and with the view of the quaint Morgan's Harbor and the North Sound, you can't go wrong. 

Photo Credit: Catch

The Bistro

In the mood for something slightly different than seaside dining? Try this new French restaurant in the heart of 7-Mile. It is casual and friendly experience with a modern-vintage flare. The restaurant is done by Mise en Place, a top notch catering company on the island, and from quiche and crepes to steak and snails, the menu is diverse and delicious.

Photo Credit: The Bistro

Sun Showers in September

The end of summer in Cayman is a pretty cool time of year. The island is fairly quiet due to low season, the water is calm and warm, turtles are nesting and hatching, it is hot as hades, and rainy season is in full swing. These summer thunderstorms that come passing through the island are beautiful, noisy and a pretty amazing site to see. There are times the sun stays shining, as seen from the photos in this post, making the water and blue of the storm pop against the sun lit surroundings. Don't let these storms deter you from visiting us at Silver Sands, you might get the passing storm that clears in a few hours, and it might not even rain on you at all! Never the less it is a gorgeous time of year to be here if you are willing to risk a shower or two.

Part of living and visiting the Cayman Islands during this time of year is that it is also Hurricane Season. Technically hurricane season is June until November but it is usually most active in September and October. The memorable Hurricane Ivan hit us on September 11, 2014. For a trip down memory lane and to see how far Silver Sands has come since that monster storm, check out our past post Hurricane Ivan's Destruction and Rebuilding of Silver Sands. 

Lucky for us we live in a day and age where we can prepare and predict these storms from the moment they are created off of West Africa. The storm system changes and grows and sometimes dissipates as the system approaches the warm waters of the Caribbean. Weather Underground is my personal favorite site to track these weather systems.

Photography by Heather Holt Photography

Plant of the Month: Delicious Local Avocados

The West Indian Avocado is the local avocado you will find growing on trees down here in Cayman. There are several different kinds of avocado through out the globe, with differences in the shape and size of the fruit, to the textures of the skin. What do they all have in common? Avocados are all delicious! and we are so lucky to have one growing right here on the Silver Sands grounds.

Mostly everyone likes guacamole and knows how to make their favorite version of the delicious dip. But have you ever thought of making avocado chocolate mousse?? I know crazy idea right, but I can speak from recent experience that it is awesome! And so simple to create. Here is a simple recipe:

1-2 large avocados
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup soy or almond milk
1/4 honey, maple sugar or sweetener of your choice
1 tsp vanilla

Mix together until creamy and well blended, chill and enjoy!

And now the maze to find the avocado tree, this photo pretty clearly shows where it is on the grounds, now if your are lucky to pass by when there is a ripe avocado on the tree ready for picking!

Parasailing in Paradise

On your average day here in Cayman, if you look out onto those turquoise Caribbean waters you are sure to see one of the many multi-colored parachutes flying high over Grand Cayman. 

Parasailing is a fantastic activity for Silver Sand's guests of all ages. Life jackets and safety gear are provided and once you are strapped in you lift off and sail up to 500 feet above the earth with a bird-eye view like no other! You can see the entirety of 7-Mile Beach, count the cruise ships docked  in Georgetown, you can even see all the way over the island to the North Sound and you might even catch a glimpse of the occasional turtle surfacing for a breath of air.

If you are interested in participating in parasailing it is a few hour excursion and very easily accessible from Silver Sands. Here are a few local companies:

Salty Rays Parasailing Adventures: 938-3603
Parasailing Professionals: 916-2953

Photos by: Heather Holt Photography and Parasailing Professionals.

Plant of the Month: In the LIME light, that's the KEY!

Key Limes are an island favorite and they grow right here on the Silver Sand's grounds. We have one beautiful, fruitful tree, the KEY is finding it on the property! The tree is in the gardens right outside of #35, with your back to the sliding door, walk straight ahead until you hit the main patch of garden and keep your eyes out for those little sweet treats.

Key Limes start out green when they are on the tree, and ripen to a nice lime green/yellow color. They can be harvested right off the tree or the ripe yellow ones can be picked up off the ground.




Here are some vacation friendly key lime recipe suggestions:

Limeade:

• 10 key limes, plus a few for garnish
• 1/2 cup sugar or honey, add more to taste

Instructions

1. Roll the limes back and forth over the counter with the palm of your hand. Cut limes in half, and juice them by hand or with a juicer; reserve rinds. (You should have about 1/2 cup juice.) Transfer juice and rinds to a large pitcher.
2. Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add sugar or honey, and stir until dissolved. Pour syrup into the pitcher, and add 4 cups water. Stir until well blended. Add more sugar or honey, if desired. Refrigerate 1 hour. Discard rinds. Serve limeade garnished with lime slices.

Mojito (for adults only):

2 oz. Havana Club 3 Year Old Rum1 oz.
Simple Syrup¾ oz. Lime Juice (1-2 key limes)2 Mint Sprigs4 oz. of Sparkling Waterdash of bitters

Instructions: In a tall glass, add 2 teaspoons of sugar, the juice of half a lime, 2 mint sprigs and 4 oz. of sparkling water. Muddle gently. Add 2 oz. of Havana Club 3 Year Old Rum and the ice cubes. Stir well. Finish with a dash of bitters.

Key Lime Pie:

5 egg yoks, beaten
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup key lime juice
1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Combine the egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk and lime juice. Mix well. Pour into unbaked graham cracker shell.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Allow to cool. Top with whipped topping and garnish with lime slices if desired.

Photos by, Heather Holt Photography

Summer Splash!

Summer days in Cayman are calm, relaxing and cheap! Check out the Silver Sands website for our Special Summer Splash prices and pull up a chair and join us!

Silver Sand's Tennis Court: Playing in Style

The tennis courts here at Silver Sands just got revamped not too long ago and are smooth playing for the whole family! The courts are artificial turf with sand, there are new nets and even seats for spectators. Come and enjoy yet another fun feature on our grounds.

For those that are more serious tennis players there is the Cayman Islands Tennis Club in South Sound. There you can always see who might be up for a match!

Photos by Heather Holt Photography