Fix-It and Forget-It Pink Cookbook by Phyllis Pellman Good

pot, remove bread, and cut into wedges.
    A slow cooker provides enough warmth to raise the dough. —Donna Barritz, Jenks, OK

Old-Fashioned Gingerbread
    Mary Ann Westerberg
    Rosamond, CA
    Makes 6-8 servings
    Prep. Time: 15 minutes
    Cooking Time: 2½-3 hours
    Ideal slow-cooker size: 4-qt
    Â½ cup butter, softened
    Â½ cup sugar
    1 egg
    1 cup light molasses
    2½ cups flour
    1½ tsp. baking soda
    1 tsp. ground cinnamon
    2 tsp. ground ginger
    Â½ tsp. ground cloves
    Â½ tsp. salt
    1 cup hot water
Cream together butter and sugar. Add egg and molasses. Mix well.
Stir in flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Mix well.
Add hot water. Beat well.
Pour batter into greased and floured 2-pound coffee can.
Place can in cooker. Cover top of can with 8 paper towels. Cover cooker and bake on High 2½-3 hours.
    Serve with applesauce . Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with nutmeg .

Lemon Bread
    Ruth Ann Gingrich
    New Holland, PA
    Makes 6 servings
    Prep. Time: 15 minutes
    Cooking Time: 2-2¼ hours
    Ideal slow-cooker size: 4-qt
    Â½ cup shortening
    Â¾ cup sugar
    2 eggs, beaten
    1 2 / 3 cups flour
    1 2 / 3 tsp. baking powder
    Â½ tsp. salt
    Â½ cup milk
    Â½ cup chopped nuts
    grated peel from 1 lemon
    Glaze:
    Â¼ cup powdered sugar
    juice of 1 lemon
Cream together shortening and sugar. Add eggs. Mix well.
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to shortening mixture.
Stir in nuts and lemon peel.
Spoon batter into well-greased 2-pound coffee can and cover with well-greased tin foil. Place in cooker set on High for 2-2¼ hours, or until done. Remove bread from coffee can.
Mix together powdered sugar and lemon juice. Pour over loaf.
    Serve plain or with cream cheese .

Soups, Stews, and Chilis

Nancy’s Vegetable Beef Soup
    Nancy Graves
    Manhattan, KS
    Makes 6-8 servings
    Prep. Time: 10 minutes
    Cooking Time: 8 hours
    Ideal slow-cooker size: 5- to 6-qt
    2-lb. roast, cut into bite-sized pieces, or 2 lbs. stewing meat
    15-oz. can corn
    15-oz. can green beans
    1-lb. bag frozen peas
    40-oz. can stewed tomatoes
    5 beef bouillon cubes
    Tabasco to taste
    2 tsp. salt
Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Do not drain vegetables.
Add water to fill slow cooker to within 3 inches of top.
Cover. Cook on Low 8 hours, or until meat is tender and vegetables are soft.
    Variation:
    Add 1 large onion, sliced, 2 cups sliced carrots, and ¾ cup pearl barley to mixture before cooking.

Frances’ Hearty Vegetable Soup
    Frances Schrag
    Newton, KS
    Makes 10 servings
    Prep. Time: 15 minutes
    Cooking Time: 8 hours
    Ideal slow-cooker size: 3- to 4-qt
    1-lb. round steak, cut into ½-inch pieces
    14½-oz. can diced tomatoes
    3 cups water
    2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
    2 onions, sliced
    3 celery ribs, sliced
    2 carrots, sliced
    3 beef bouillon cubes
    Â½ tsp. dried basil
    Â½ tsp. dried oregano
    1 tsp. salt
    Â¼ tsp. pepper
    1½ cups frozen mixed vegetables, or your choice of frozen ­vegetables
Combine first 3 ingredients in slow cooker.
Cover. Cook on High 6 hours.
Add remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on High 2 hours more, or until meat and vegetables are tender.
    Variation:
    Cut salt back to ½ tsp. Increase dried basil to 1 tsp. and dried oregano to 1 tsp.
    Tracy Clark
    Mt. Crawford, VA

“Absent Cook” Stew
    Kathy Hertzler
    Lancaster, PA
    Makes 5-6 servings
    Prep. Time: 15 minutes
    Cooking Time: 10-12 hours
    Ideal slow-cooker size: 3- to 4-qt
    2 lbs. stewing beef, cubed
    2-3 carrots, sliced
    1 onion, chopped
    3 large potatoes, cubed
    3 ribs celery, sliced
    10¾-oz. can tomato soup
    1 soup can water
    1 tsp. salt
    dash of pepper
    2 Tbsp. vinegar
Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.
Cover. Cook on Low 10-12 hours.

Anona’s Beef Vegetable Soup
    Anona M. Teel
    Bangor, PA
    Makes 6 servings
    Prep. Time: 15 minutes
    Cooking Time: 8-10 hours
    Ideal slow-cooker size: 6½-qt
    1-1½-lb. soup bone
    1 lb. stewing beef cubes
    1½ qts. cold