A Parfait Morning

In French, parfait means perfect. How fitting to indulge in this perfectly delicious fruit parfait on this perfectly lovely (and quite lazy) spring morning. My mom recently sent us a fabulous and fun cookbook called Crazy Sexy Kitchen by Kris Carr with Chef Chad Sarno. My hubby and I have both been inspired by these beautiful and creative vegan recipes lately. Today, with that stream of light through the kitchen window and some self-imposed lazy time, I set out to create my own version of the Mango-Raspberry Parfait with Vanilla Creme.

Yesterday, I prepared the Buckwheat Crunchies. I started by soaking 1 cup of rinsed buckwheat groats in water while I was at work (8 hours plus a few). When I got home, I strained and rinsed them, stirred in 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, a drizzle of maple syrup and a dash of Himalayan salt. Then I dehydrated the groats overnight, overwhelming the house with the aroma of toasted cinnamon. Personally, I found the amount of cinnamon a bit too much. Note to self: next time use just a tad less cinnamon.


While my buckwheat groats were dehydrating, I prepared some jam. Instead of the mango jam in the original recipe, I decided to use my favorite strawberry-chia jam:
Cook the berries and maple syrup in a saucepan over medium heat for a few minutes until the berries begin to break down a bit. I like to muddle the berries a little, for a kind-of, but not-too-chunky texture.  Add the chia seeds and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes. Let the jam cool and set it in the fridge to anxiously await its role in tomorrow's perfect parfait!

I love simple luxuries like sleeping late on a Saturday morning and wandering, sleepy-eyed, into a sunlit kitchen knowing you have no schedule to keep. This morning the beautiful early light seemed to accentuate the vibrant colors of the fresh fruit I selected for my parfait: raspberries, blackberries and mango.


Next, the Vanilla Creme. A simple, yet completely delectable dairy-free indulgence! I can see this creamy delight topping many goodies in my future! Simply blend:
Once I had my ingredients lined up, it was simply a matter of assembling the perfect parfait.


And since spring is in the air, the roses are in bloom. What's a perfect breakfast without a perfect centerpiece?


What a rare treat, relaxing on the patio with the sound of birds and the scent of honeysuckle in the air.  A truly perfect morning, lazing about with my parfait and my coffee, enjoying a bit of spring solace.
  

I hope you are enjoying your solace, too.

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