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Gifting,
Pre-made mixes easy to make and so much fun to give

Here's a great way to give a gift to friends and family without breaking the bank or devouring the limited amount of time we all have during the holiday season.

Mixes for holiday giving include Beef and Vegetable Soup (front) and Chicken Noodle Soup.

Glass jars filled with colorful ingredients for items such as chicken-noodle soup or cranberry-oatmeal cookies are delightful to receive, and even more delightful to eat on a chilly winter day when the thrill of the season is long past.

Each recipe here also would make a great quick fix for friends and family during the holiday crunch.

What you'll need

• Ingredients for individual mixes (recipes below)
• Funnel for filling jars with dry ingredients; measuring spoons, too
• Mason jars or other attractive jars with lids, or decorative cellophane bags
• Ribbons and tags for instructions
• Wooden spoons or ladles for an extra touch

Chicken Noodle Soup in a Jar

Makes 1 jar of mix

• 1 package (2.75 ounces) country gravy mix
• 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
• 2 tablespoons dried minced onion
• 2 tablespoons dried celery flakes
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
• 2 1/2 to 3 cups uncooked wide egg noodles or other pasta

To assemble jar: Pour the gravy mix into a wide-mouth jar. In small bowl, stir together bouillon granules, onion, celery and parsley. Pour into jar to make second layer. Add noodles. Close lid. Attach gift tag.

Gift-tag instructions: Empty contents of jar into a 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven. Add 8 cups water. Heat to boiling on high heat. Reduce heat to medium. Add 1 (10-ounce) or 2 (6-ounce) cans cooked and chopped chicken. Cover and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes, or until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally. Makes 8 servings.

Note: Jar ingredients will keep for several weeks in a cool, dry pantry.

Beef and Vegetable Soup in a Jar

Makes 1 jar of mix

• 1 package (1.6 ounces) brown gravy mix
• 2 tablespoons beef bouillon granules
• 1/4 cup dried minced onion
• 1/4 cup dried celery flakes
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
• 3 cups rotini pasta (or pasta of your choice)

To assemble jar: Pour gravy mix into a wide-mouth jar. In a small bowl, stir together bouillon granules, onion, celery and parsley. Pour into jar to make second layer. Add rotini. Close lid. Attach gift tag.

Gift-tag instructions: Brown 1 pound ground beef in a 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven. Add contents of jar, 7 cups water and 1 (16-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, un-drained. Heat to boiling on high. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally. Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese. Makes 8 servings.

Note: Jar ingredients will keep for several weeks in a cool, dry pantry.

Ranch-style Biscuits in a Bag

Makes 1 bag of mix

• 3 cups self-rising flour
• 1 package dry ranch-style salad-dressing mix
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

To assemble gift bag: In a medium bowl, stir together flour, dry salad-dressing mix, parsley and garlic powder. Spoon into cellophane bag. Tie securely with twist tie.

Instructions for gift tag: Empty contents of bag into medium bowl. Stir in 1 cup of milk or buttermilk and 1/2 cup melted butter to form dough. Place spoonfuls of dough onto baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes, or until biscuits are golden brown. Makes 12 to 14 biscuits.

Note: Ingredients will keep for several weeks in a cool, dry pantry.

Confetti Cookies in a Jar

Makes 1 jar of mix

• 1 cup M&Ms mini baking bits
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

To assemble jar: Spoon 1/3 cup of the baking bits into a wide-mouth jar. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Spoon the mixture into the jar. Gently tap to even out the flour. Spoon another 1/3 cup of the baking bits on top of the flour. Spoon the light brown sugar and then granulated sugar into the jar. Spoon the remaining 1/3 cup baking bits into the jar. Seal jar tightly.

Note: The flour tends to cover the M&Ms, so you may want to place the candy layers between the sugars to create more color in the final presentation.

Gift-tag instructions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pour the contents of the jar into a large bowl and stir to combine. Stir in 2 sticks of melted unsalted butter, 2 large eggs and 11/2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes to firm up. Drop tablespoonfuls of the dough onto un-greased baking sheets 3 inches apart. Bake until the edges of the cookies are golden and the tops are set, 13 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Note: Jar ingredients will keep for several weeks in a cool, dry pantry.

(From “ Mom's Big Book of Cookies” by Lauren Chattman, Harvard Common Press.)

Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies in a Jar

Makes 1 jar of mix

• 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup white-chocolate chips

To assemble jar: Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a small bowl. Spoon mixture into bottom of wide-mouth, 1-quart jar. Gently tap jar to even out flour.

Spoon oats into jar and tap to even out. Spoon in cranberries and press with back of spoon to compact mixture. Spoon in brown sugar, then granulated sugar and, finally, white-chocolate chips. Seal tightly.

Gift-tag instructions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pour the contents of jar into a large bowl and the stir to combine. Stir in 1 stick melted unsalted butter, 1 large egg and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Drop tablespoonfuls of dough onto un-greased cookie sheets, 3 inches apart. Bake until edges of cookies are golden and tops are set, 11 to 13 minutes. Cool the cookies on wire racks.

Note: Jar ingredients will keep for several weeks in a cool, dry pantry.

(From “ Mom's Big Book of Cookies” by Lauren Chattman, Harvard Common Press.)

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