Pounamu Skelton

At the upcoming Puanga rises event this month I'm creating a delicious Inu inspired from our Maara.
A botanical mocktail made for the occasion, cardamom pods and cinnamon toasted first to open up their warmth, coriander seeds and fresh ginger added to round it out. Then Tarata hydrosol, distilled in our own apothecary from tarata grown here on the whenua.
Warming spice, citrus brightness, and a hydrosol that carries the scent of home. Made to be sipped slowly while we mark the rising of Puanga together.

There is nothing quite like a refreshing, tasty botanical drink in hand that is healthy, tastes good and looks decadent. That is the space these mocktails sit in.
Steeped with organic herbs grown right here on the whenua, guided by Hua Parakore principles. No shortcuts, no sprays, nothing added that does not belong. Just plants that have been cared for, hand-picked, and turned into something the is healthy for your tinana.
A different way to unwind, one that still feels like a treat, still feels like ceremony, and nourishes your hauora.

As the evenings draw in, I find myself reaching for one gentle rongoā more than any other. Chamomile.
Most of us know her as a bedtime tea, but she carries more than sleep in those small golden flowers. Chamomile is a nervine, which means she may calm a busy nervous system, ease an unsettled puku, and quieten the low hum of anxiety many wāhine carry without ever naming it. She does her mahi softly. She does not force. She invites the body to remember how to rest.
This is why she has become my evening ritual.
Steep a small handful of dried chamomile flowers in just off the boil water for five minutes, keeping the cup covered so the healing oils stay in. Strain, then add a curl of orange peel and a small spoon of honey if you like. Wrap your hands around the cup and sip it slowly as the light goes.
No rush. No screens. Just kai for the nervous system and a moment that belongs only to you
Check out maara o rongo product range at nz.pounamuskelton.com/shop
𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘺 𝘛𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘢 𝘕𝘪𝘸𝘢 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘺

The vision came to me through a meditation, a message to go home to my people. At the time I did not even know where home was, but I packed the car and drove north anyway.
That was 24 years ago. My vision of living on the whenua, eating organic kai and living sustainably has taken every one of those years to manifest and come to fruition.
For a long stretch I was a single mum with two tamariki, working two and often three jobs to keep a roof over our heads. It took the pain of another relationship breakup to move me toward a better decision for myself, and that decision changed everything. I chose to ask for what I was 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵, and to start being paid what I was 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗛.
If this resonates with you, then it may be time, my friend, to know your own worth too. Your 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵. Your 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵. And most importantly, your 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵.
It is our decisions that shape our destiny.
It may have taken 24 years, but the vision has landed. We are home on the whenua, eating kai we have grown with our own hands, and living mostly sustainably.
If you are ready to know your worth and pick your dream back up, come walk with me. Follow along here, and send me a message with the one dream you have set down. I would love to hear it.
Know your worth. Watch your world change.
𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘺 𝘛𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘢 𝘕𝘪𝘸𝘢 𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘨𝘩𝘺

At my upcoming event Puanga rises this month, I'm trialing a mocktail recipe inspired by herbs grown in my Maara.
Working with the ruby rich herb of Hibiscus ideal for the winter months, rich in flavour and known to support your immunity and a healthy heart. Steeped with Ngati Maru manuka honey to sweeten and slowly steeped with our own juicy oranges, garnished with dried orange peel and fresh sage from the maara and topped up with a splash of sparking water.
This recipe can be served as a hot tea on a cold day or poured over ice as a mocktail and serves with kumara chips and herbal aioli.

Puanga is rising again in our dawn skies here in Taranaki, and for us that rising is our tohu of Te Tau Hou, our sign that a new year has begun.
This is a season measured by movement as much as by stars. We wait for the piharau to arrive in the Waitara awa, and the season stretches on until they return again to the Patea awa. Watching for that migration is one of the ways we track where we are inside the year, a rhythm older than any calendar on the wall.
Our maunga wears a cloak of snow through this time. The rains come more often, the whenua cools, and our maara kai slows with it. Growth eases back. Roots do their work quietly underground while the surface rests. It could look like nothing is happening if you only glance at the garden, but this is one of the most active seasons there is, just turned inward.
We're moving through the longest nights of the year now, marked by maruaroa o takurua. I've always found this one of my favourite times, not despite the dark but because of it. Long nights ask something different of us than long days do. They ask us to draw back into our own inner maara, to reflect, to rest, and to let ourselves be restored. How are you restoring your own energy right now?

There is a special Inu steeping in preparation for Puanga Rise event happening at Govett Brewster this month
Kawakawa, kanuka, and a little manuka honey have been finding their way into a botanical mocktail for our event. Not a smoothie, not a tea, something in between. Warming, grounding, and tasty all grown at Te Rau o Rongo and decorated with our hydrated limes and fresh mint.
As I prepare for Puanga Rise event I'll be sharing more mocktails that I'm creating. Grown from our whenua.

Have you noticed Puha popping up in your måra? 🌱

Puha is a powerful rongoā for the liver, helping to clear toxins and support digestion. It's growing everywhere at the moment, especially in unmown parts of your māra.

You can pick it young for salads, wilt it as a side dish, or add it to a delicious boil-up.

How do you like to use Puha? Share your favorite recipes below! 👇

It's kūmara harvest time! If you're pulling your kūmara from the māra don't forget to cure them so they'll last through the winter months.

Store your kūmara in a dark, well-ventilated spot, safely away from any hungry rodents This will keep them perfect for all your delicious winter meals and for future seed for next season.



the days get shorter and the air gets colder, it's time to start thinking about preparing for winter. And for many of us, that means harvesting our kūmara crops from the māra.
ūmara, also known as sweet potato, is a staple food in New Zealand and has been a part of Māori cuisine for centuries. But did you know that proper curing is essential for ensuring your kūmara lasts through the winter months?
what exactly is curing? Essentially, it's the process of drying out your kūmara after harvesting to toughen their skins and increase their sugar content. This not only helps them stay fresher longer but also enhances their flavor.
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