Dear Thinny, you have me sitting here clucking my tongue at your trying to try to fool me - your Noble Defender.
How daring of you! (See, everyone - he is not worn down to nothingness !!)
Go back to eighth grade, and take the sentence apart - -
The subject is: 'mix' - further defined by a preposition 'the' and adjective 'pudding.'
The verb (the first word) is: 'Mix.'
Therefore, the adverbial phrase "as directed on the box" gives specifics of how thou art to 'Mix' the mix.
No pat on the back for this one, Thin Man...:(
I, however, will not make you put on a dunce cap and sit in the corner on a stool. I sent algore there on a permanent basis two years ago - - ..:))