More is More - More Cafe, Oman

Hands up if you love More Cafe, Oman. I'm not a pancake traditionalist and I couldn't care less about 'em for the longest. Then, a little over a year ago I tried More's Pannenkoek on a Friday brunch at Royal Opera Galleria and went through a rite of passage. Since, whenever I was in the mood for some 'breakfast of champions' or whatever you wanna call it, I knew where to go, veraciously!  So, the specific Pannenkoek in question is a Dutch pancake loaded with green apples, cinnamon spirited and teemed with crème anglaise. Some of those times are positively logged on my Instagram. That hangout of theirs has since been packed away (and the Wave outlet is quite a stretch when I'm hungry) but a brand new one is underway, at a nonchalant distance from my attic. Come august, I'm walking there, pulling up a chair and waiting to be impressed, once again.

But this post is not about that. It's quintessentially about the ‘more’ that More Cafe at The Wave is now offering, their new palatable catering menu that I was introduced to recently at their catering event.  I, my husband and some great people from the living-for-a-share community gathered around a table eating, documenting and playing food. Major appreciation for More for organizing these very unconventional and thoughtful (personalized place cards, what?) shenanigans, where we learned about their new catering concoct, got to sample some fine finger food, whacked each other out at a blindfolded food tasting game, took the food pictionary darn seriously and put our largely non-existent coffee foaming skills to test with a little lot of help from their barista. It was such a reveling, learning and entertaining experience. I think how I felt was the equivalent of how my three year old feels when she dresses up in tulle and fairy wings with her favorite sparkly friend. We walked away with food babies, smiles and goodie bags.

The Spread

Mini Beef Burger

Chicken Tikka Wrap

                                                                 Mini carrot cake

Fresh seasonal fruits platter

And then, the games began..........

     

The boys in purple eye masks face off. They were blindfolded and told to guess the ingredients of a mini Shrimp and Dill sandwich. Shrimps, according to my husband (on the right) are also called 'big crabby things' on a hot day. So much for relying completely on olfactory nerves and taste buds. We all took turns and it was a whole lot of fun. 

Watching the barista whip out things like leaf, flower and even a bear, effortlessly. Those faces meant 'this is not easy and we take back all those times we thought it was'.   

Here we were breathing down the barista's neck, for the last time before we attempted our own works of art.

And here, I was trying to recreate a leaf. Trying.

From left to right : Ayshe (lifeoutsidethem25), Me, Alexandra Barbu (Assistant Manager/ Event Organizer), Susan (heyfatsu), Heather (theduncanadventures), Maurizio, Freddie (muscatmutterings), Max (the very supportive husband), Dahlia (aishelaqtta) and Medina (UB-Cool).

Appetizing gourmet sandwiches, wraps, mini quiches, sweet and savory pastries, skewers, dipping sauces, crudités, salads, mini cakes, sugar-free desserts and so much more is on their sweeping scrumptious catering menu which you can find here. This is just in time for our sweltering Middle Eastern summah when you won’t brave the heat to eat, have uninvited (or invited) company over, a little soiree with your friends or simply because you like to have substantial food choices on your on lazy day inventory.

What do you think...... Is it is up your alley? Try it at home or swing by over the weekend or both.








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Taking Stock - Fall memories......

Howdy partner? It's been a minute since I've been here.....and I missed it. It's also been also a while since I've been contemplating on a picture-saturated entre nous and letting you know where my life was at while I was away. This is it.....

At the end of September I found myself flying on a jet with my tribe. Eight hours and several decadent food choices later I was home in Marburg. If you know me then it's no secret that I'm a sucker for fairy tales, folksy things and dreamy pictures and Marburg is where they all come to life. I never miss an opportunity that comes along to be there, to be swaddled in love. I spent the next six weeks taking it all in, and then decided to lock my pretty darling treasures up in a bottle Koffer and flew back to Muscat. This time around I have had so many whimsy pinch-me-worthies that it makes my heart float with happiness and gratitude. The more I see, the less I know for sure......Making an effort at zooming in at them gently as they continue to multiply......

A cobweb that wasn't short of a magical kingdom // some handmade keepsakes, better known as Schutzengel (guardian angels) in Germany // My bubba and her bubbles :)))) // Christmas cookies that made an early appearance all the way from the town of Aachen and a book about it's historically and architecturally intriguing 'Kaiserdom' (Imperial Cathedral) which also is a world heritage site. Who knew? Not me! I gonna hit up that town someday.

This ultra adorable train is the newest touristie favorite... toots folks around downtown where all the action happens, all the way up to the Marburg Castle of Landgraves where Gothic stories unfold. The driver even has a perma smile, love it! // Ever heard of a Pirate's Schnitzel? This cafe had it covered // Cozy slippers and comfy knits //That Shearling backpack though

That one time when I saw a lone white swan in the woods // The light at the end of the tunnel is what I want you to take away from this picture // Bückingsgarten, the grub - bringing happy hours since 1708 // And there we toasted to another happy year to my boyishly devilishly handsome husband.

I love bringing to life a seasonal table....this was our Fall décor this year in Muscat. The foliage in Oman looks far from it but we can always look past that, can't we? I feel it for sure // Goulash - to warm the inside when it's cold outside. My spin is very unconventional but ridiculously healthy // I've been baking like never before, hashtag Stepford Wife :) On this occassion it was the Banana Almond Loaf. Dang! that was good // We had the little Red Riding Hood over at Halloween and she couldn't get any cuter.

I never could decide what I am most drawn to when it comes to Fall - the rustling reddened leaves on the sidewalks, the pumpkins that scream soup-or-décor, the sweater weather, soul-soothing foods, a home that smells like baked goods because I'm actually baking or everything in between. It's all I dream of in a festive season with my birthday and sweet surprises thrown in for good measure. This year I've been more than lucky with fine opportunities making their way to me, more than once. To be completely honest, as I grow older I find the word 'coincidence' more and more meaningless. Things that have come about to shape the kind of life I live or the people I share it with are too special to be random. And random has no place here. It's perpetually reassuring that it's all part of a grande cosmic arrangement because I believe in it.

Hope you had a great festive start too. Ready for Thanksgiving? Oh and it's only 40 days till Christmas!!!!! Exciting times.

Thank you for stopping by. Until next time come find me on Instagram (instagram.com/thestylecradle) because that is where I post the most.

xo Renee