Derval O'Rourke: These spiced almonds are quick, easy festive faves

Plus: the ultimate in last-minute presents if you're stuck

Derval O'Rourke's Spiced Almonds

If you are anything like me, then even with all of your planning it’s inevitable that you have a couple of things that have still not been crossed off of your to-do list. 

I am the ultimate creator of a to-do list but not quite the one to complete said list. This week I am sharing some last-minute gift options that are a nice nod to the area of wellbeing.

While there is something nice about unwrapping a gift, don’t underestimate the gift of an experience. I’m a big fan of ‘things to do’. 

In the past, I’ve had friends book me activities and each one of them has always been a brilliant experience. 

The thought of someone going to the trouble of thinking of something for you to do that will add value to your life is very special.

Here are my favourite ‘things to do’ ideas:

Cookery school

If there is someone in your life who loves cooking or maybe the opposite, doesn’t have a clue what to cook, then a gift voucher for a cooking lesson or to a cookery school is great. 

Even better, go on a cookery school website and book a specific course/day for them. Consider what they have shown an interest in. It’s good to contact the school and ask if booking a specific course/day is transferable. 

My favourite cookery schools are The Dingle Cookery School, The Tannery, Dublin Cookery School, and Ballymaloe.

Subscription boxes

There are food/coffee and even chocolate subscription boxes available with the quick click of the mouse. 

It’s so easy and find annual subscription boxes online. Even for people who know how to cook, the thought of getting a food subscription is quite fun and gives great new ideas. 

The meal subscription box I’ve seen lots of people use is HelloFresh. In my house, we are signed up to a monthly coffee subscription from Cloud Picker. I’ve heard nice reviews of Cocoa Runners, a monthly subscription to different types of craft chocolate.

Gym or personal training

This is an idea that needs to be targeted at the right person who would value it. A gym membership or personal training session can be something that a person forgoes if they feel they can’t quite budget for it or justify the spend but they might still really want it. 

This is where giving them a gift is a great idea. Giving someone a few personal training sessions can be a great option particularly if you know that person is looking for fitness motivation and a reset in January.

Career guidance

People have become so much more aware of investing time in themselves and taking a moment to consider how they would like to approach different aspects of their lives. 

An area that has grown massively is career coaching. If there is someone in your life that would benefit from a session with a career coach then this is a really practical and thoughtful gift. 

There are lots of great career coaches online who would be delighted to give you a voucher for their service.

Behind the paywall - a digital newspaper

A lot of media outlets have put elements of their content behind a paywall; this needs to happen for media organisations to be able to fund their work and invest in journalism. Also the content behind the paywall is often the best and well worth the fee. A subscription to a friend or family member’s favourite newspaper is a great present (hint hint - the Irish Examiner does a fantastic digital subscription!).

It’s important to remember that this time of year is about so much more than just presents. Physical and mental well-being is more important than receiving and giving the perfect gifts. 

Taking time to be present with those who mean the most to you is more valuable than any gift you could think of. Merry Christmas.

Wellness Tip: Make sure you are consuming enough vitamins. Winter time, with the changing of the weather, is a time when people are much more susceptible to sickness. Vitamin C is your best friend at this time of year.

Fitness Tip: Your water intake is especially important at this time of year. Dehydration inhibits proper physical performance so make sure you are drinking enough water.

Spiced Almonds

recipe by:Derval O'Rourke

This recipe is enough for a jar of these festive faves!

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 30 mins

Total Time

 35 mins

Course

 Side

Ingredients

• 1 ½ tbsp of maple syrup

• 1 ½ tsp of cinnamon

• 1 tsp of nutmeg

• ¼ tsp of ginger

• 250g of almonds

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/ gas mark 4. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

2. Place the maple syrup, nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon in a small pan and gently warm through until mixed together and runny.

3. Take off the heat and stir in the almonds. Tip onto a baking tray and spread out evenly so that they aren’t overlapping. Cook in the oven for thirty minutes. Make sure you stir the nuts once or twice in this time so that they cook evenly.

4. Once the nuts are crunchy, remove from the oven and allow to cool before tucking in. Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container.