You are really close to the last shopping day before Christmas and chances are you still have a few, just a few, gifts left to get.

You don’t need a big gift just a little happy — not cheap, just little. You need something that says you thought about someone.

Those are the perfect gifts to make yourself. I know you are thinking you don’t have enough time but you do and if you think it over you can make a big batch of something yummy to take care of several of those people you have left.

Start with the Merry Mochaccino Mix and pair it with a pretty holiday mug. Maybe you need to add something more to your gift. You could always pair the mix with a loaf of Pumpkin Bread. For real ease, bake them in disposable loaf pans and wrap them in tissue or cellophane when cooled.

Merry Mochaccino Mix

1 cup sugar

2 / 3 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 / 4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 tablespoons instant espresso coffee

1 / 2 cup dry milk

Mix all the ingredients together and spoon it into tins or bags. This mix makes 2 1 / 4 cups which is enough for 10 to 12 cups of mochaccino. Put a label on it that tells the recipient to mix 3 to 4 Tablespoons of mix with 3 / 4 cups of milk in a saucepan. Bring this to a simmer, whisk and heat till smooth.

Pumpkin Bread

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1 16-ounce can pumpkin

2 cups sugar

3 / 4 cups vegetable oil

2 / 3 cups water 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 1 / 3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 / 2 teaspoon baking powder

3 / 4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat you oven to 350 degrees and grease two 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pans. Combine the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl, stir well. Combine flour and the next 6 ingredients then add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture stirring well until well blended. Stir in pecans. Spoon the batter into your two pans and bake for one hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely and wrap in cellophane if giving as a gift.

Christina Hall can be reached by e-mail at chritina.hall@natchezdemocrat.com.