HOST A PERFECT PARFAIT BAR
Not all entertaining is done at night and quite frankly as a mother o)f two with both kids in school, I seem to do a lot more entertaining with other parents in the mid-morning to afternoon , between drop off and pick up. A wonderful option that seems to be a parent favorite is the Parfait Bar. A healthy, flavorful option that is set up similarly to a salad bar. A cute way to create and see the levels of the parfait is with a Mason Jar , as your bowl. The first ingredient for building a good parfait is yogurt. I personally like the taste of Vanilla Greek Yogurt. The other popular flavors are plain, low fat, and some risk takers will actually use cottage cheese instead. ( Actually tried with cottage cheese and I loved it with fruit and a smaller amount of granola)
For the granola I am an old fashioned girl, who likes plain flavor, as I like the fruit and spice to be my main flavor. The selection of fruit purely depends on the season, and what you are able to get at your local grocery store or market. I ideally like to make a rainbow with my parfait bar, the variety of fruits and colors give for more selection but also make a beautiful display. Try to limit the # of fruits to 4-5 options. If you are unsure what people will like the basics are always a great choice, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, apples and banana. The more exotic fruits that seem to be a winner are mango, kiwi, pear, peaches and oranges. Watermelon isn’t the best option as it will water down your parfait , possibly making your granola soggy .
The last area on this parfait bar that I personally haven’t seen very often is the spice section. This doesn’t need to be anything big, because a little bit goes a LONG way! My favorite spices for a parfait are cinnamon, nutmeg and in the fall pumpkin spice.
Remember there is no wrong way to make a parfait, the only thing you can mess up is by not trying this super easy parfait bar.
Along with a Parfait Bar , depending on the number of people you are expecting to entertain, it is nice to pair it with bagels, cream cheese and even some nova. The drinks all depend on your mood, but coffee/decaf, fresh juice and a beautiful display of water are always appreciated.
All photos courtesy of Marta Villalba Photography