Chicken & Dumplings with Gravy

2½-3 lbs chicken pieces
3 cups water
1 onion, peeled and wedged
1 tsp salt
½ tsp sage
½ tsp marjoram
½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup frozen corn
2 cups chicken broth
¼ cup flour

Skin chicken and add to water in large kettle with onion, sage, salt, pepper, marjoram and bay leaves. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to slow simmer. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add celery and carrots and simmer 15 more minutes. Add corn and simmer 10 minutes or so.

In medium bowl combine 1 cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder and ½ tsp salt. Cut in 2 Tbsp shortening until mixture resembles crumbs. Ad ½ cup buttermilk, stirring just until moistened.

Spoon batter into six mounds on top of chicken (do not drop in liquid). Return to boiling, reduce heat, cover and simmer 12-15 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted into dumplings comes out clean. Transfer to serving platter and keep warm.

Combine 2 cups chicken broths and ¼ cup flour in pan and bring to boil. Stir until thickened. Serve gravy over chicken, vegetables and dumplings.


© Crackerberries 2009

Eggplant Tomato Quiche

1 pie crust (recipe follows)
1 large tomato, cut into ¼ inch slices
1 medium egg plant, sliced into thin rounds
3 eggs, slightly beaten
¼ cup sour cream
¼ cup parmesan cheese
2 slices mozzarella cheese
½ tsp basil
½ tsp oregano
½ tsp fennel seed
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp ground black pepper
Salt and pepper to taste

Spread eggplant slices on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and sprinkle with salt; let stand 15 minutes. Preheat oven 350º. Pat dry any juices from the eggplant with paper towel. Spray both sides of the egg plant with oil and place in oven for then minutes.

Combine basil, oregano, fennel seed, garlic powder and pepper in a small bowl and mix well. Spray with oil and sprinkle spices over both sides of tomato. Place in oven with eggplant and cook for 10 minutes or until both eggplant and tomatoes are lightly roasted but not blackened. Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes.

Layer eggplant in bottom of pie crust, saving 4-5 slices; place mozzarella cheese on top of eggplant, then top with tomato slices.

Beat the eggs and sour cream together until well combined; add parmesan cheese and dash each of salt and pepper; mix well and pour over tomatoes. Sprinkle with fresh ground pepper.

Bake at 350º for 35-40 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Single Pie Crust
1¼ cups all purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
1/3 cup shortening
4-5 Tbsp ice cold water

Make a glass of ice water. In a medium bowl stir flour and salt together. Using pastry blender, cut in shortening until flour is crumby. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp iced water over flour and gently toss with a fork. Repeat with 1 Tbsp water at a time until all flour is moistened..

On lightly floured surface, use your hands to flatten and roll pastry from center to edges in a circle to fit into your pie plate. *Note: the more rolling and patting done with the pastry, the tougher it becomes.

© Crackerberries 2009

Liver + Onions

So liver and onions was a meal my mother served once a week when I was a kid. Liver is cheap now, imagine how cheap it was back then. I loved liver and onions night. However, I did not care for what she served it with: mashed potatoes and stewed tomatoes. That was what my sister loved. I remember sitting at the dinner table saying “I don’t like mashed potatoes.” My father would say, “Shut up and eat it”. “But that’s not fair,” I’d retaliate, “Penny gets a hot dog because she doesn’t like liver”. Then my father would give me that look and say, “If you keep running your mouth, you can have more mashed potatoes.” That meant I better shut up. My mother always liked my sister better than me. (I’m just kidding) When we’re kids and things like that happened, that’s what your brain told you, isn’t it? Parents just know what is best for their kids … whether it’s eating stewed tomatoes and mashed potatoes or liver and onions; or in my sister’s case, a hot dog. Guess my mother really like me better. I’ll take liver and onions over a hot dog every day.



1 lb beef or pork liver
1 cup whole milk
3 medium onions
8 slices bacon (optional)
½ cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp pepper
2 Tbsp butter




Soak liver in milk for 20 minutes. While liver is soaking cook bacon in skillet over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and add sliced onions and salt and cook until golden brown. Remove onions and add to bacon. Cover with a piece of aluminum foil to keep warm.

Drain milk from liver (if you have a dog, he will love this mixed with his dog food.) Combine flour, paprika and pepper in saucer. Dredge liver through flour and shake off excess.

In wiped out skillet add butter and let it melt over moderately high heat. Add liver; cook 2-3 minutes per side until no longer pink inside. Serve with bacon and onions.


© Crackerberries 2009

Sausage Biscuits

Tall Cool One and I joke around about some of the things that the restaurants have “buy one get one free”. I think this was something Bojangles did. Not 100% sure. But since coming to South Carolina I’ve see more restaurants than I ever heard of while living in Maine. One thing is for sure, the south can eat. And I can simulate their specialties... sort of.


3 cups flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp salt
¾ tsp cream of tartar
¾ cup butter flavored Crisco
1 cup milk
¼ cup corn meal
½ lb bulk mild sausage, made into patties and cooked



Preheat oven to 425º. Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, garlic powder, and cream of tartar in large bowl. Stir to combine. Using a pastry blender, cut in the shortening until the mixture is crumbly. Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour 1 cup of milk in all at once. Stir just until moistened.

Turn dough out on well floured surface and knead the dough by gently folding and pressing for 5-6 times. Pat dough out to ½ inch thickness. Cut out 6-8 circles with large glass or biscuit cutter. Sweep through corn meal and place the circles one inch apart on cookie sheet. Bake 10-14 minutes or until golden. Remove biscuits from baking sheet.

Place sausage patty in the center of two biscuits with mustard or grape jelly. Serve ‘em up warm or wrap in wax paper to store in fridge or freezer for later use.

© Crackerberries 2009

Red Flannel Hash

So we had a New England boiled dinner over the weekend. You know what that means? Leftovers get turned into a new meal; Red Flannel Hash. Just use all of the leftover meat and vegetables from the dinner. The only new items I added was the bacon and the beets…that’s what made it red since I was not using corned beef which is customarily what is cooked in a New England boil dinner. I used a rump roast.

2 cups chopped roast
1½ cup diced potatoes
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2 cups shredded cabbage and onions
1 15 oz can beets, drained and finely chopped
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp thyme
½-¾ cup juice from leftover veggies or beef broth
3 slices bacon


Save about ½-¾ cup of juice that the veggies are setting in when you take them out of the fridge. Combine chopped and diced veggies with meat. Mix well. Add Worcestershire sauce, thyme and paprika to reserved veggie juice or beef broth. Pour over mixture. Spoon into greased baking dish; and lay bacon over top and bake at 375º for 30 minutes or until bacon is crisp. Let stand a few minutes before serving. Good for breakfast with eggs or din-din with Italian bread.



© Crackerberries 2009

Dirt Cake

It’s funny when I tell people I’m making a dirt cake. They look at me funny and say “you make a cake out of dirt”? Usually I laugh a little and say “no, it’s not really dirt” and then I explain the ingredients. But, after I thought about this, it really is dirt. Everything comes from dirt. Genesis 2:7 “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground…” For without that, there would be nothing.



1 box chocolate cake (or make your own)
1 large container of cool whip
4 Skor© bars
2 boxes of instant chocolate pudding
Chocolate syrup
Gummy worms

Bake the cake according to instructions on box. Let cool completely and then crumble in large chunks.

Make pudding only using ½ of the milk that is called for. Combine with ½ of the container of Cool whip.

Break the candy bars into tiny pieces (a hammer on a cutting board works well).

In glass bowl or fancy dish layer bottom with ½ of crumbled cake, top with ½ of pudding/cool whip mixture. Sprinkle with a third of the crushed candy bars. Drizzle chocolate syrup across the top and down the sides. Repeat layers.

Spread cool whip over top and sprinkle with remaining candy bar. Strategically place gummy worms in “dirt”.

This is also good for other holidays. Faux leaves for a Thanksgiving dessert or imitation poinsettias for Christmas, a Cross for Easter, etc. Imagination is ¾ of the battle of creation.


© Crackerberries 2009

Moo-Chi-Pig Casserole

This is a great brunch or breakfast for a crowd. Made the night before leaves your morning open to relax, enjoy your coffee and company without slaving in the kitchen. Not only that, but it’s a pretty tasty casserole. Serve as is or add salsa or ketchup.

1 lb mild bulk pork sausage
1 16 oz pkg. cooked cubed ham
1 26 oz pkg. shredded hash browns
8 oz shredded Colby & Monterey Jack cheese
4 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
¾ cup milk
1 tsp celery salt
1 Tbsp Texas Pete
¼ cup parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp bacon bits
1 dozen eggs

Cook the sausage in large skillet until no longer pink; drain grease and cool completely. Spray large baking dish or lasagna pan with cooking oil. Spread uncooked hash browns in bottom of baking dish, spreading them up the sides to create a crust if you will.

Lay cubed ham over hash brown, then top with cooled sausage. You might also add cooked onion and green pepper (optional). Top with cheeses.

In large bowl, beat eggs and add milk, parmesan cheese, celery salt and Texas Pete; mix well. Pour over casserole. Sprinkle with bacon bits.

Place in refrigerator over night. Remove from fridge 30 minutes prior to baking. Bake in 350º oven for one hour or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

© Crackerberries 2009

Green Tomato Pine Nut Pizza

I love pizza night. Tall Cool One loves pizza, as long as it doesn’t have anchovies on it. I think you can put anything you want on a pizza. This one was especially flavorsome.

Whip up your own pizza crust or buy one of those pre-made ones. Whip up your own pizza sauce or buy a jar of pre-made.

Pizza Toppings
1 cup pizza sauce
¾ cup mozzarella cheese
¼ cup parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
2 Tbsp pine nuts
15-20 slices pepperoni
2 small green tomatoes, sliced

Pizza Crust

2½ cups all purpose flour

1 tsp Italian seasoning

½ tsp garlic powder

1 package (1½ tsp.) active dry yeast

¾ cup hot water (120º-103º)

1 TBSP oil

In a large bowl combine ¾ cup flour, seasoning, garlic powder and yeast; blend well. Mix hot water and oil together and combine with flour mixture. Blend at low speed until moistened then mix at medium speed for 2 minutes. Add ¾ cup flour to form stiff dough.

On floured surface, kneed in ¼ - ½cup flour until dough is smooth and elastic (3-5 minutes). Place dough in greased bowl, twirling around to coat; cover loosely with plastic wrap and cloth towel. Let rise in warm place (80º-85º) for 30-40 minutes or until double in size.

Punch dough down several times to remove all air bubbles. Pat or roll out on pizza stone to form crust. Let rest for 10 minutes before adding toppings.

Pizza Sauce
½ cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium tomato, chopped
6 oz tomato paste
8 oz tomato sauce
1 tsp salt
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp basil leaves
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp sugar

Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until tender; add remaining ingredients and simmer on low for 30 minutes being sure to stir often. Cool before spreading on pizza dough.

Preheat oven to 400º. Spread sauce on dough, top with cheeses, pine nuts, pepperoni and sliced green tomato. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning. Bake at 400º for 23-25 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

© Crackerberries 2009

Grandmother Anise Cookies

½ cup butter flavored Crisco shortening
1¼ cup sugar
2 eggs
3¼ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
¼ cup milk
¼ tsp salt
2 Tbsp aniseed
Confectioner’s sugar



Preheat oven to 350º

In large bowl combine shortening and sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs and milk.

In separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt and mix well. Gradually add to creamed mixture. Add aniseed and mix well.

Using small ice cream scoop, place one inch scoops two inches apart on parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Press down scoops with cup dipped in confectioner’s sugar. Bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly golden. Cool on wire racks.


© Crackerberries 2009

Parmesan Tata's

4 medium potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 8 wedges
½ cup melted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup parmesan cheese
3 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
¼ cup finely chopped onion
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp paprika

Preheat oven to 400





Combine all ingredients except potatoes in a large bowl and mix well. Add potatoes and stir to combine. Spread potato wedges across cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake uncovered in 400º oven for 30 minutes or until tender and golden brown.

Tata’s make a great side dish or appetizer served with ranch dressing, sour cream or ketchup.


© Crackerberries 2009

Snyder's Of Hanover Chicken

Fry in the south, bake in the north, am I right? I wanted fried chicken but if you recall my last attempt at frying chicken, I over fried. Baking is more my forte so try this one on for size.

10 baby chicken legs
½ bag honey mustard and onion pretzel nibblers, crushed and pulverized
*1-2 cups buttermilk
1 Tbsp dry mustard
1 tsp pepper

Wash chicken legs in cold water and place in large dish. Cover with buttermilk. Let stand on counter for 45 minutes.

Combine pulverized nibblers with dry mustard and pepper in large zip lock bag. Drain buttermilk from chicken and place one or two pieces at a time in zip lock bag and shake and bake at 350º 45 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165ºF.

*Make your own buttermilk by combining one tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice in liquid measuring cup and top off with milk; stir to combine and let stand five minutes.


© Crackerberries 2009

Potato Tomato Salad

3 medium-large red potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
2 cloves garlic
2 eggs, hard boiled, peeled and diced
4 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
1 large tomato diced
½ cup frozen peas
¾ cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp ranch dressing
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp prepared mustard
1 tsp paprika
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper




In medium sauce pan cook potatoes in enough water to cover with garlic just until tender; drain, discard garlic and cool.

In small bowl combine mayonnaise, ranch dressing, dry mustard, prepared mustard, paprika, salt and pepper and mix well.

Combine peas, tomato, bacon and potatoes in large bowl and mix well. Pour sauce over and combine. Fold in chopped eggs. Garnish with tomato slices and parsley if desired.




© Crackerberries 2009

Not So Average Sloppy Joe

On Wednesday nights our church has dinner together where people get the opportunity to eat and have some fellowship prior to Bible study. Usually we do not get there in time for dinner due to Tall Cool One’s work schedule. But they had Sloppy Joe’s one Wednesday evening and I hadn’t had Sloppy Joe’s in forever, or so it seemed. I kept saying, “We’re gonna have sloppy Joe’s” and Tall Cool One kept making a face of "YUCK". You remember the can of sloppy Joe sauce, right? Manwich© right? This is not that.



1 lb ground beef
1 small onion
1 small green pepper
1 tsp oregano
½ ground black pepper
1 tsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp fennel seed
1 cup tomato sauce
¼ cup ketchup
½ loaf Italian bread
1 Tbsp margarine
1 tsp garlic powder
¾ cup shredded Colby Jack cheese




In large skillet brown ground beef with onion and green pepper; drain grease if necessary. Add tomato sauce, oregano, fennel seed, Italian seasoning, pepper and ketchup; bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until thick 10-15 minutes.

Slice bread length wise; spread margarine on both sides of the inside. Place on cookie sheet with buttered side up and sprinkle with garlic powder. Place in oven for 10 minutes to lightly brown. Remove from oven and slice in quarters; scoop Joe mixture over bottom quarters. Sprinkle with Colby Jack cheese and place tops of bread over cheese.

Wrap with aluminum foil and return to oven for 15 minutes. Serve with your favorite Sloppy Joe side dish; {Kraft© macaroni and cheese, right kids?}

© Crackerberries 2009