Some days are just comfort food days. With the end looming for our freezer vegetables from last Summer I decided to get out the trusty old crockpot and make a stew of sorts. In went potatoes from our neighbours garden , carrots, pumpkin , swedes , cabbage and home grown leeks. It had somehow escaped me that one does not put on the crockpot later in the day. So and hour before Greg gets home - nothing is cooking yet. Out the crockpot and onto the coal range. I decided that some nice floury dumplings might be nice and I tried this recipe. they were easy and really yummy. Its a keeper for sure!!  Judging from the response from Greg - he thought so too
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here it is

 http://www.food.com/recipe/fluffy-little-clouds-old-fashioned-dumplings-for-stew-211082

Ingredients 

Servings 4 Yield 8 Dumplings 

• 4 ounces self raising flour
• 2 ounces shredded vegetable suet or 2 ounces grated frozen butter
• cold water, to mix
• salt
• pepper
• garlic granules (optional)
• dried herbs (optional)
• onion salt (optional)
• oregano (optional)
• chili powder (optional)
• chopped fresh herb (optional)

Directions

1. Put the flour, seasonings, & suet in a large mixing bowl, mix thoroughly.
2. (If you are adding herbs or extra seasonings, add them now & mix well.).
3. Add sufficient cold water - bit by bit - to make a pliable dough; it should not be too sticky, but just bound together.
4. Divide the dumpling mixture into 8 portions, and roll into small balls with floured hands.
5. Drop them into your soup, casserole or stew 20 minutes before the end of the cooking time, making sure that the soup, stew or casserole is very hot.
6. Put the lid on IMMEDIATELY and do NOT take the lid off until just before the end of the cooking time, about 15-18 minutes to check that they are nearly ready.
7. They should have doubled in size at least, and be very light & fluffy looking!
8. Ladle the soup, stew or casserole into warmed soup bowls & serve 2 dumplings per person.
9. Oven baked: place the dumplings on top of your stew or casserole and cook for about 30 minutes at 200C or 400F, or until well risen, golden brown & crusty.