Rendering Beez Wax & Grey Power lunch

KIA PIKI TE ORA!!!!

21 NOVEMBER 2014 - HEI MANAAKI (WK 14)  

 

Wonderful to have our whare warm again with a number of new visitors joining us for our class today.

Had feedback from Teresa about her visit with Whakatane with Te Awanuiarangi last week.  She shared some of awesome mahi that we have been doing and they were very impressed with our blog and the wonderful learning that has been happening as a result.  

9th and 10th of December will be a certificate ceremony which our roopu have been invited to at Ngawha for some of the men who have been doing the courses for Rongo and Tourism graduating.

It was great to have Mardy Hart (Teresa's mum) join us today she requested the translation and whakapapa of the waiata Taku turanga ake for a niece - Whaea Mere had a copy of the translation on hand but we will as a roopu follow up on the whakapapa of this waiata

RENDERING BEES WAX

 

Today, Kura and I demonstrated how to render the bees wax ready for making balms. Ideally a polystyrene box can be used with a curtain netting pinned onto it with a glass on top.  Today I went to the Op shop picked up a $5 crock pot with lid and an old curtain netting which we washed and used as an alternative instead to place the wax on to melt.

Method: 

1. Put a small amount of water at the bottom of the dish (this will help to clean the wax and remove any excess debris)
2. cover dish with netting then tie the curtain netting to the dish (or pin down if using a polystyrene box)
3.  place wax on top of netting and cover with glass lid
   
4. place in sunny area, allow time for the wax to melt
   
5. when completely melted remove curtain and drain out water and remove the clean wax
   
   
   
   

6. it is now ready to add to any of the infused oils to make balms

There are other alternative methods to rendering bees wax which I have linked as other examples

IRON MAORI BALM

A huge thanks to Papa Jo and Whaea Viv for this jar of Iron maori balm made with Tupakihi, Puketea and Horopito.  Thank you both for sharing this - I'm sure it will help with my hubby's injured Achilles tendon that is having trouble healing.

Although we have done previous blogs on Tupakihi have found out a bit more about the Puketea and Horopito.

Puketea

Māori used the bark of the tall pukatea (Laurelia novae-zelandiae tree as a painkiller, boiling the inner layer to make a decoction. Pulped inner bark was also held in the mouth to ease toothache. Pukatea bark contains pukateine, which has a chemical structure similar to morphine. It was first isolated in 1910 by Bernard Aston, the first chemist at the Department of Agriculture. (ref: http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/14459/pukatea)

Horopito

(Ref: http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/13879/lowland-horopito)

Horopito, or mountain pepper tree (Pseudowintera colorata), is found growing down the line not found up in the Far North. It contains a chemical that leaves a peppery taste and burning sensation when chewed but it is this heat that is used in the balm that Papa Jo and Whaea Viv make for the Iron Maori runners. In recent years, its ground leaves have been used as a condiment in some foods. 

AHIPARA WANANGA

30th January 2014 Kura has been asked to do a wananga on some of the rongoa growing on the land at Ahipara B2 

TE RARAWA CONFERENCE HUI

27th Mahi Maru Marae Te Rarawa conference hui starting 10am - 4pm 

Also a financial literacy presentation coming up in next few weeks but next week we will meet at the ngahere.

TE HOUTAEWA CHALLENGE RUN

28th March is the Te Houtaewa Challenge Run - need to keep this date in our calendar as a main event next year for our roopu.

GREY POWER LUNCH

1pm we had lunch at the Sea Dragon for Grey Power members and potential members - wonderful lunch - great host - excellent networking.  Only our roopu would think to sing "E papa" with the chopsticks.

NGAHERE VISIT

Next week Friday the 28th November we will be heading to the Ngahere for a practical class.  We will all be meeting up at the office first and car pool out to the Ngahere to the Mangamuka Reserve.