Summer from the slow cooker?

As winter drags on and on like a couple yards of toilet paper dragging improbably off the back of my shoe, I find myself looking through slow-cooker cookbooks for something that will make me feel a little more warm and cozy.

Today we have Mable Hoffman's Crockery Cookery (1975) to do the warming. Instead of focusing on meals, I went straight to the quicker warm-ups-- hot drinks-- and I picked out a couple that I found intriguing. They're not necessarily good or bad, but not what I expected in the list of mulled ciders and wines advertised as being slow cooker friendly.

I was trying to figure out why these two hit me, but then I saw it: they both hint at summer, even if they're served piping hot for cold weather.

The first made me think of trips to the Dairy Queen:

It's like a malted milkshake! Only hot! And minty! It's the only slow cooker recipe I've ever seen that begins with six mint patty candies, too. Chocolate and mint are classic, as are chocolate and malt. All three together-- I'm not so sure. At least it hints at summer, though.

The other recipe hints at sunny afternoons on the back porch:

It's hot lemonade-- with cranberry, honey, and spices. This might be a good way to sooth a sore throat while dreaming of spring. Or maybe it would just be really weird to have hot lemonade....

Here's hoping for spring-- weird or otherwise! I just want it here.