Are you looking to add a personal touch to your holiday gifts this year?

Why not try making your own mason jar gifts? Not only will you score points for convenience, but creating your own gift jars gives you control over the ingredients and nutrition put into each gift. They are also a great way to unleash creativity while staying on a budget.

Hy-Vee can provide you with all the supplies you need to give that special gift for a friend, co-worker or family member.  So don’t stress over the task of shopping this season and try our holly jolly jar gift ideas.

In a mason jar…

•Add a variety of herbal tea bags.

•Add the recipient’s favorite coffee bean.

•Add all the dry ingredients for a tasty pancake mix.

•Add seasonal popcorn with dried fruit for a festive trail mix.

Add dry ingredients for favorite oatmeal recipes.

Add ingredients for hot cocoa mix and attach a Bailys mini to make it an adult beverage.

Decorate the top of your jar with a festive Christmas fabric and tie a ribbon around the top that includes a tag to state whom the gift is to and from.  Remember to include instructions for completing the recipe. You can even add a fun Christmas bow to give extra appeal to your holly jolly jar gift.

 Blueberry-Pecan Pancake Mix

Serves 8

(two 3-inch) pancakes each

All you need

•Dry mix

•1 cup Hy-Vee all-purpose flour

•1/2 cup Hy-Vee whole wheat flour

•1/2 cup Hy-Vee dried blueberries

•1/2 cup finely chopped Hy-Vee pecans, toasted

•3 tbsp Hy-Vee light brown sugar

•2 tsp baking powder

•1 tsp Hy-Vee ground cinnamon

•1/2 tsp salt

 Wet ingredients

•2 large eggs

•Whites of 2 large eggs

•1 1/2 cups nonfat buttermilk

•2 tbsp canola oil

All you do

To make dry mix: Whisk all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, blueberries, pecans, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. If giving as a jar gift, decorate the top of the jar and fix instructions below to the lid.

To make pancakes: Whisk eggs, egg whites, buttermilk and oil in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry mix; add wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Use about 1/4 cup batter for each pancake.

Nutrition Facts per serving: 259 calories, 10g fat, 1g saturated fat, 54mg cholesterol, 356mg sodium, 35g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, 8g protein.

Source: adapted from Eating Well, Inc.

 Iced Gingersnap

Trail Mix

Makes 20 servings (½ cup each)

All you need

•4 cups Angie’s Iced Gingerbread Holidrizzle kettle corn

•1 cup Annie’s gluten-free gingersnap Bunny cookies

•1 cup vanilla yogurt raisins

•1 cup Hy-Vee dried cranberries

All you do

In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients. Portion out ½ cup trail mix per person.

Nutrition facts per serving: 130 calories; 4 g total fat; 2 g saturated fat; 0 g trans fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 23 g carbohydrates; 9 g sugar; 1 g protein; 1 g fiber; 280 mg sodium

Source: Hy-Vee dietitians

*For more holly jolly gift ideas such as hot cocoa or lentil soup email jpape@hy-vee.com.