That's a great tip that's been passed down from Kevin McCurley.
It sounds like you're doing everything correctly from what you've described, but I would try to stick with live. Try the newspaper trick and offer a live mouse in about a week (leaving the newspaper in).
Watch for lurking behavior (head out of the hide, looking interested in its surroundings) and that will be a great time to offer the food.
If push comes to shove, I am somewhat local to you (I live in Marietta) and would be happy to try to help you out, even if that's helping you with setting up an even smaller enclosure with a tub set-up that may also help get a reluctant feeder to eat for you.