Texas Berry Picking

Berry picking is a wonderful inexpensive way for the whole family to spend some time together outside. We went to Matt Family Orchard  in for some blackberry picking. Blackberries ripen in mid May through mid July. We picked a whole bucket full! They were only $3.70 per pound.

Some other fruits at the orchard:
Blueberry: April – May
Jujube (Asian Date):  mid July through August
Asian Pear:  July – August
Fig;  July – September
Asian Persimmon:  October – November
Citrus:  October – November

Pizza Fries

Easy and delicious!
INGREDIENTS
pre-cut fries (I used seasoned crinkle cut fries)
pepperoni
cheese cheese cheese (I used mozzarella & peperjack with Parmesan combo)
fresh ground pepper
paprika
garlic powder

OPTIONAL ITEMS
marinara sauce
other kinds of meat (sausage, bacon, ham, etc)
onions
black olives
other spices
basically anything you want!

DIRECTIONS
1. Cook fries according to package directions: Preheat oven to 425°F. Arrange one layer of fries on an aluminum covered pan (for easy clean up). Bake for 20 minutes.
2. Add everything: cheese, peperoni, and spices. Bake for another 10 minutes.
3. Cool for 5-10 minutes and enjoy!

Matcha Green Tea Chocolate Chip Cookies

My family and I LOVE green tea. I decided to have すべて抹茶 (Subete Matcha – Everything Matcha). So one weekend I made these awesome green tea cookies. You can purchase matcha green tea powder for making tea in higher end grocery stores like Central Market by HEB or order online (Amazon is a good place). Matcha powder can be a bit pricey but it is worth it! There are several types of green tea so make sure you get the powder version (referred to as ‘matcha’).

Quick lesson on green tea:

Sencha (煎茶) is a Japanese green tea, specifically one made without grinding the tea leaves. The word “sencha” means “simmered tea,”referring to the method that the tea beverage is made from the dried tea leaves. This is as opposed, for example, to matcha (抹茶), powdered Japanese green tea, in which case the green tea powder is mixed with hot water and therefore the leaf itself is included in the beverage. (Wikipedia)

Matcha Green Tea Chocolate Chip Cookies
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon green tea matcha powder
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and matcha powder.

3. In a large bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy.

4. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1 heaping tablespoon at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 2-3 inches apart.

5. Bake for 8-10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly browned. DO NOT OVER BAKE. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.