Inexpensive Christmas Gifts

Oatmeal Pancakes in a Jar

(recipe follows)

Mixes in a jar are an inexpensive and fun gift to give as a Christmas present.  A wide variety of mixes can be put in jars for giving: cookie mixes, cake, hot chocolate, almost anything you can imagine.  Assembly is simple; you need:

1 canning jar or other appropriate container

a scrap of fabric for the top (optional)

cotton batting to add dimension for lid (optional)

ribbon

tag with instructions

This is a jar full of oatmeal chocolate chip cookie mix.

Using a plate or bowl, trace a circle on the wrong side of the fabric. Cut out.

Use the lid to trace on the batting. Cut out.

Center on lid and screw on band.

Make a tag with instructions for using the mix.

Tie the tag on with a ribbon.

This is a recipe I recently got from my daughter.  It's really good- and uses food storage items.

Oatmeal Pancake Mix

3 1/2 cups dry oats (Quaker oats)

3 cups wheat flour

2 cups white flour

3 tablespoon sugar

3 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon baking soda

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Mix all ingredients until crumbly. Store in an air tight container in refrigerator for maxium freshness. When ready to make a batch of pancakes, mix 1 1/2 of mix, 1 egg, and 1 cup of buttermilk. (Instead of buttermilk you can take 1 tablespoon of lemon juice put it in bottom of a cup and pour 1 cup of milk on top of it and let set for 5 min, stir and add add to mix). Cook.



1 1/2 cup of mix will serve 3-4



Colonial Gingerbread

This gingerbread is so moist and delicious, your family won't even know it's good for them! It was originally sliced and served warm with butter at lunch or dinner. Top with whipped cream for dessert!

INGREDIENTS

3 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1-1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 cup butter or shortening
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup boiling water
1 cup molasses


DIRECTIONS

Sift together first 7 ingredients; set aside.






























In large bowl using mixer at medium speed, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs; beat until well blended.
















In small bowl, dissolve baking soda in boiling water. Stir in molasses.

Using mixer at medium speed, beat in dry ingredients alternately with molasses mixture until well blended. This is typically done by starting and ending with the dry ingredients:

• Start with 1/3 of the dry ingredients
• Then half of the molasses mixture
• Then 1/3 of the dry
• Then the rest of the molasses mixture
• Then the rest of the dry

Pour batter into greased cake pan, 13 x 9 x 2 inches. Mine happens to be a round cake pan that has the same capacity as a 9 x 13 pan. (Mmmm! I think I want to lick that spoon!)
















Bake in a 350 degree oven, 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack. Makes 16 servings.