Slow Cooked: Keeping warm with hot beverages

The slow cooker is a smart choice for food, but it's also a great way to whip up warm beverages perfect for cold mornings or chilly evenings.

You'll find a lot of flexibility when you're using your slow cooker for drinks. You could mix up the ingredients for hot mulled cider and warm them up overnight in time for a welcoming breakfast treat.

Or during your next party, mull an inexpensive (but OK-tasting) wine. The recipe here serves 10 to 15 people. It's affordable, easy and delicious – and frees up the burner you might use to mull the wine instead.

We found a few beverage recipes for you to consider, and they should work for either entertaining, spending time with family or just warming up on a cool day.

On another note, we left out credits for last week's macaroni and cheddar/Parmesan cheese, spicy chili and cheese meatloaf recipes. They were reprinted from "Fix-It and Forget-It BIG Cookbook," copyright by Good Books (www.GoodBooks.com), used by permission, all rights reserved.

HOT BUTTERED RUM

2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cub butter

Pinch of salt

3 sticks cinnamon

6 whole cloves

1 whole nutmeg or 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

2 quarts hot water

2 to 3 cups rum

Put all ingredients in slow cooker. Stir well. Cover and cook on high for two hours, then turn to low for three to 10 hours. Serve in warm mugs. Makes 15 to 20 servings.

Recipe from Rival Crock-Pot Cookbook.

WASSAIL

2 quarts apple juice or cider

1 pint cranberry juice

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon aromatic bitters

2 sticks cinnamon

1 teaspoon whole allspice

1 small orange, studded with whole cloves

1 cup rum (optional)

Put all ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for one hour, then on low for four to eight hours. Serve warm from slow cooker.

Makes about 12 cups.

Recipe from Rival Crock-Pot Cookbook.

HOT MULLED CIDER

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 quarts cider

1 teaspoon whole allspice

1 1/2 teaspoons whole cloves

2 pieces stick cinnamon

Orange slices

Put all ingredients in slow cooker. If desired, tie whole spices in cheesecloth or put in a tea strainer. Cover and set on high for one hour then turn to low for two to eight hours. Serve from cooker with a ladle.

Recipe from Rival Crock-Pot Cookbook.

MULLED WINE

1 1/2-liter bottle Merlot, such as Livingston Cellars

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 lemon, sliced

1/2 orange, sliced

5 to 10 whole cloves

3 cinnamon sticks

Nutmeg, ground (for garnish)

Combine wine, sugar, fruit slices, cinnamon and cloves; bring to just a simmer and stir until sugar dissolves. Transfer to a slow cooker on its lowest setting to keep warm (keep fruit and spices in wine for garnish). Ladle hot drinks and serve with a sprinkling of nutmeg.

Recipe from McClatchy-Tribune News Service.

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