Baking Mixes

• For friends who like to cook, a baking mix in a jar is a great gift. Use only the dry ingredients from a recipe and fill a wide-mouth glass jar with each ingredient in layers. When filling the jar, put the ingredients used last at the bottom of the jar and those used first at the top. For instance, if a cookie recipe calls for the white and brown sugars to be creamed with butter as the first step, those two ingredients should be the top two layers in the jar, and the chocolate chips or raisins for the cookies at the bottom. Attach a recipe to a ribbon tied around the neck of the jar and indicate any ingredients needed for the recipe not included in the jar, such as oil, eggs or butter. Use your favorite brownie, cookie, cake or quick bread recipe for the layered baking mix or look for a recipe on the Internet.
  
  

Soup Mixes

• For the winter holidays, give the gift of warming, homemade soup with a soup or chili mix. Pour layers of dried beans, dried vegetables, dried herbs and spices, and pasta or rice into a large-mouth glass jar. Consult your favorite soup and chili recipes. For added color, opt for recipes using several types of beans, and layer those beans separately in the jar. For instance, if your recipe calls for red kidney beans, brown pinto beans and white navy beans, instead of combining those in one layer, use three layers for added color. Attach the recipe for the soup or chili to a label on the side of the jar, indicating if other ingredients are needed, along with the cooking instructions. Tie a wooden cooking spoon or soup ladle to the neck of the jar for an added gift.
  
  

Sweet and Savory Snacks

• Ready-to-eat snacks are also a layering option for a food gift. Turn three-way popcorn tins into decorative gifts. Layer cheese popcorn, caramel popcorn and buttered popcorn in three layers in a clear bucket. Alternately, fill an empty decorative jar with layers of different colored popcorn kernels and seal the jar with a cork. Divide a bag of multicolored candy-coated chocolates, gumdrops, gummy bears or mints in layers for a sweet snack treat. Use an old-fashioned decorative candy jar or an apothecary jar for the candy treat. Instead of giving trail mix, layer each of the components in a plastic sport water bottle. The recipient shakes the bottle to make the trail mix, and can refill the bottle with water for use during exercise.
  
  

Drink Mixes

• Fill a clear pitcher with layers of the ingredients needed for a hot wassail, cocoa or tea. Separate all of the ingredients into layers in the pitcher, and cover the mouth of the container with plastic wrap. Tie a ribbon around the neck of the pitcher for decoration and to hold down the plastic wrap. Tie a mixing spoon and the instructions for the drink to the ribbon around the pitcher. Try instant Russian tea made with instant tea, orange drink mix, spices and lemonade. Hot cocoa mix made with instant dry milk, powdered sugar, cocoa and marshmallows is also a good option, especially during the colder months.