Brunch Parfaits

Finish off a leisurely morning brunch with these yummy desserts - they're perfect for late spring weather.

The first step in the original recipe called for a microwave - that is, to microwave 1/3 cup apricot preserves for 10 to 15 seconds until melted. Since I don't own a microwave, I spooned the preserves into a saucepan over medium-low heat and cooked until melted. I think it took roughly 3 to 4 minutes, and I stirred pretty frequently, but mostly I was eyeballing rather than timing it, and removed the pan from heat just as the mixture got very fragrant.

Toss the melted preserves with 3 cups sliced strawberries and set aside. At least this much of the parfaits can be made ahead of time and chilled until you're ready to serve. Note: for the preserves, I used the apricot fruit spread from Whole Foods' 365 brand; as I've mentioned before, these jams are sweetened with grape juice instead of sugar, which I think makes them way preferable!

Just before serving, assemble the parfaits: spoon 1/4 cup vanilla soy yogurt (such as Wildwood) into each of 4 glasses. Top each with 1/3 cup of the strawberries. Repeat the layers.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of granola without raisins (I used the Agave Plus Granola from Nature's Path) and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons slivered almonds over the tops of each parfait (you can toast the almonds first, if you like).

Each parfait is 290 calories. They are best served immediately so the granola keeps it's crunch!

Cost:
apricot preserves $1.99
strawberries $2.99
vanilla soy yogurt $2.99
granola without raisins $3.79
slivered almonds $5.99