Island Flavor

Bottom Bay, Barbados [Photo by gemteck1/flickr]

Stress at work, annoyance at home and a serious case of wanderlust have you wanting to hit the Caribbean ASAP, but your recessionista wallet says otherwise. No sweat. This yummy summer treat -- snagged right from the recipe books at the ultra posh Sandy Lane resort in Barbados -- is sure to have you sailing away in no time (even if it's only in your mind).

Sandy Lane Low-Fat Granola Wild Berry Parfait

• 1 cup fresh vanilla yogurt
• ½ cup homemade cherry granola (Dried whole cherries & fresh granola of choice)
• 4 sliced strawberries
• Handful raspberries
• Handful strawberries
• Handful blackberries
• Handful blueberries
• 2 TB candied pecans
• 1 sprig mint leaf

Mix the fresh granola and dried whole cherries in a mixing bowl. Pour a quarter of the granola mixture, along with blackberries and blueberries into a glass Mason jar, and pour ½ cup fresh vanilla yogurt on top. Then, layer sliced strawberries and whole raspberries on top of the yogurt. Pour the remaining ½ cup yogurt into the jar, and layer the remaining fruit and pecans on top of mixture. Finish off the parfait with mint leaf sprig.

Wanna make a whole meal? For more recipes from Caribbean hot spots, check out my article over at examiner.com.