Last week I found this recipe in the San Jose Mercury News. Over the weekend I prepared the mix, divided it into three bags, and prepared gift baskets that included herbal tea and maple syrup from Trader Joe's.

I changed the recipe as follows:

~-Replaced 1/2 cup sesame seeds with 1/2 cup oats

~-Replaced 1/2 cup sunflower seeds with 1/4 cup cornmeal

~-In the recipe instructions I included with my gifts I replaced 2 eggs with egg substitute and 1/4 cup oil with 1/4 cup applesauce.

Mix all ingredients well. You'll have about 12 cups, enough for 6 batches of pancakes.

To use: Mix 1/2 cup liquid egg substitute, 1 cup water, and 1/4 cup applesauce in a large bowl. Stir pancake mix in bag before measuring 2 cups and adding it to the bowl. Stir until just blended; a few lumps are okay. Let batter rest for about 5 minutes before cooking on a greased griddle or frying pan. You may need to add more water-start with a tablespoon or so-if the batter is too thick to drop from a spoon. Serves 3-4.