By Teri Cayton
The Parsons Advocate
Wow, the third week in August and the night time temperatures have dropped into the low 40’s. Not ready yet for fall but not much I can do about it. Momma Said, “Time waits for no man (or woman).” It is good in the mornings to take the dog for a walk. I don’t mind fall so much but for people with allergies it is a tough time. Mom would always get choked up and my brother is really bad with sinus problems. I’m okay until I get around moldy or musty things.
The coming days are warming back up and I am fine with that. Winter just holds no appeal for me I don’t like being cold and the weather is not what is used to be. If the ground would freeze and stay frozen it would not be so bad but that doesn’t happen anymore. All I have is mud, mud and mud.
We are having a lot of water problems here in this part of West Virginia because of the drought. The rivers are low or dry and some towns are really hurting for water. Momma Said, “It is a precious commodity and you won’t miss it until it is gone.” I try not to waste water anytime because when it is gone it is gone. I don’t let the water run excessively when brushing my teeth or washing the dishes.
I don’t like to waste anything no matter what it is. I squeeze all the toothpaste out of the tube, use my slivers of soap and make everything stretch as far as possible. I need to get every last drop of everything because money is scarce and prices are way too high for everything. Momma Said, Waste not, want not.”
Mixed Berry Cobbler with Cake Mix
Ingredients
Berry Filling
- 6 ½ cups mixed frozen berries
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Zest and juice of 1 small lemon
Cobbler Topping
- 1 box Yellow Cake Mix
- ½ cup butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly butter a 9×13-inch baking dish and set aside.
To Make the Berry Filling
- In a large bowl, combine the frozen berries, sugar, water, cornstarch, vanilla extract, juice and zest of the lemon until well coated, then spread evenly into the prepared baking dish.
To Make the Cobbler Topping
- In a medium bowl, combine the cake mix with the melted butter until it clumps together. Crumble this over the berries.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the berries are bubbling thickly.
- Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving while still warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- This is best the day it is made but you can store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a 300°F oven for about 10 minutes.
Recipe Notes
- You can use fresh berries instead of frozen berries for this recipe, but we recommend this only if the berries are in season. Otherwise, frozen berries will give you the best flavor.
- You can make this with a single berry (instead of mixed) if you wish.
- Make sure the berries are bubbling before you remove the cobbler from the oven; otherwise, it will not set properly.
- If the topping gets too brown before the berries are cooked, cover the cobbler with foil for the remainder of the baking time.
- This cake mix cobbler would be delicious with a dollop of whipped cream or Vanilla ice cream!