From Maori translation meaning the process of protection and guardianship of looking after our environment and showing care for what we have.
We are lucky to live in a frost-free, subtropical permaculture. At Arcadia Lodge we make our own preserves, marmalades & jellies served at breakfast - up to about 250 jars per year. Fruits such as plums are picked over summer and frozen, Feijoas are poached, herbs are dried or made into pesto. Chillies grow really well in Northland and they look great in our Cottage Garden by the front entrance.
As a community we share our abundances, such as local bananas, which I make into banana bread for breakfasts, we gather chillies from the garden and then give our friends & family jars of Asian Chilli Jam and our delicious Sweet Chilli Sauce.
Here is our rather delicious recipe for our much loved Chocolate Chippy Biscuits we serve to guests, we double the mix or more when we are busy and freeze the dough balls and cook as needed so they are deliciously fresh
Arcadia Lodge Chocolate Chippies Biscuits
1 cup Butter -softened or at room temp
1 cup each of White & Soft Brown Sugars
2 Tsp Vanilla Essence
2 Eggs
Beat butter & sugar till it’s well creamed, add vanilla & eggs , beat till fluffy.
2 cups Plain Flour
1 tsp each Baking Powder & Baking Soda
3 cups Rolled Oats (blendedin Food processor till fine )
½ tsp Salt
350g Chocolate Chips or Drops
1 cup chopped Walnuts or Pecans ( Can omit these )
Fold in all the dry ingredients till well combined Take a scoop or Tablespoon and roll into balls At this point you can refrigerate & then freeze the dough balls till needed
Bake 160C Fan oven 16-18 mins if you like soft cookies
24 mins or bit if you like crispy cookies
We hope you love them as much our guests do.
Food for me has always been inspirational, and I love fragrant bold and tasty food. There is nothing nicer than a well-balanced dish such as a curry, or a sauce and upon the first taste you know this person gets food and they cared enough to not be average.
As a child, my Aunt Eadie made Danish pastries in night school classes, and the taste of the cardamom is something I have never forgotten.
If you have an amazing recipe to share, email Peter at arcadialodge@gmail.com and I will send you one of mine back.
We strive to provide you with a breakfast that is tasty and a little different, often my take on a set of flavours from other countries.
It is our aim that this extends far beyond our breakfast into you having a great stay and feeling that we cared - but not fussed over you.
We hope you have some great, wonderful memories of a stay that differs from most. Our dream is not to be average.
