Breakfast Food Mixes

• You can prepare breakfast mixes for a wide variety of pancakes, muffins, scones, waffles, breads and instant oatmeal by simply combining the dry ingredients called for in the recipe in a clean pint jar, decorative container with an airtight lid or sealable plastic gift bag. Include dried fruit like raisins, cranberries or apples and additional spices to personalize the taste. Make sure the jar or container's lid is secured. Attach a gift tag listing the wet ingredients, such as eggs, milk, or oil, that need to be added and the cooking or baking directions. For a spectacular family or newlywed gift, give a collection of breakfast mixes along with maple syrup, jam, honey and muffin or bread tins.
  
  

Lunch and Dinner Food Mixes

• While you may not be able to help the people on your gift list with dinner on a hectic weekday evening, you can make the process easier by giving main and side dish food mixes. These can include mixes for bean or noodle soups, chili, seasoned rice or risotto, pizza dough, breads and biscuits, gravy or noodle dishes as well as bread coating mixes, vegetable dip mixes and specialty spice blends like Old Bay or Creole seasoning. Place the dry ingredients in an appropriately sized container and attach a tag with directions. A pantry container filled with mixes for an entire meal -- chili, cornbread, salad dressing, dessert cake -- would make a great housewarming gift.
  
  

Dessert Mixes

• All kinds of dessert recipes can be made into gift worthy food mixes, including infinite variations on cakes, cookies, brownies, fudge, biscotti, caramel, corn pudding, s'mores and pie crust. Layer the ingredients in clear canning jars or put them in ribbon-tied bags tucked into decorative baking pans, mugs or cookie jars. You might want to include quirky cutters with cookie mixes or flavored coffee with biscotti mixes.
  
  

Drink Mixes

• Cocoa, spiced cider, chai tea, herbal or fruit-flavored tea blends and coffee can all be personalized as drink mix gifts. Have a tea lover on your list? Prepare a variety of black, herbal and exotic tea combinations. Need a hostess gift for the Christmas party you're going to? A cranberry cider mix will both smell and taste divine. Package the mixes in mugs, tea cups, teapots or canisters along with stirring spoons, tea balls or, for hot cocoa of course, a package of marshmallows.