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Four weeks. I have not posted for four full weeks. Basically at this point I am considered deceased in the 24/7 instantaneous blogging world, but I really always loved the idea of posthumously being published so let's cook and write from the grave, shall we?

There are innumerable reasons why a person takes a break from their blog, but I am only going to reveal one. In all honesty, I was a bit crushed I didn't qualify as a finalist in any of the rounds or categories for The Real Women of Philadelphia Cream Cheese Recipe Contest. All contestants had to submit a video of their dish in under 10 minutes. Having never taped myself in the kitchen this new challenge promoted my creative juices to overfloweth with ideas (which is ever harder when operating as a corpse), and I took to this contest with great zeal thinking I had a good chance at turning my cream cheese capers into a prize-winning recipe. The contest circuit up until this point has not been kind to me, but I love cream cheese, I'm from Philadelphia, and earlier this year I recipe tested several Philadelphia Cream Cheese recipes at their request. I thought this contest cat was in my cream cheese caper bag! But as Dr. Cox famously says/sings on Scrubs, the TV show we all hate to love, "Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong. You're wrong. You're wrong," (sung in a melody befitting an over-inflated ego.)

In total I submitted three recipe videos featuring Philadelphia Cream Cheese. The first, or Part 1,  of my Cream Cheese Caper dishes is my Peach and Strawberry Parfait. Since summer 2009 after accidentally creating a Peaches-n-Cream verrines-style dessert, I've enjoyed the contained look of  a layered dessert in a glass (remember my Valentine's Champagne & Roses?) and thought it was a serving style unique to the regular cream cheese dessert offerings of pies, cakes, cookies, etc. PCC, however, didn't care for my twist and put the first nail in my Real Women of Philadelphia Cream Cheese Recipe Contest cream cheese caper coffin.

Today lifesafeast tweeted the question, "Do you blog your failures?" And I tweeted back that I haven't truly thought about it, and then today writing this post I realized the Chocolate Fruit Salad Pie was a failure. It too was for a contest and it too did not place. So, lifesafeast, please let me redact my original tweet. I do in fact post my failures because thank God food is so subjective someone somewhere out there might just the caper you've created.

The video is probably the juiciest bit, so please enjoy it (by enjoy I mean laugh at). (recipe in writing follows)

Strawberry Peach Parfait Recipe

Total Prep & Cooking Time - 1 hour Serves - 4

Mousse

• 8oz. Philadelphia Strawberry Cream Cheese
• 1/2 confectioner's sugar
• 2 tbl sugar free strawberry preserves
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 drop red or pink food coloring
• 1 cup chilled whipping cream

Roasted Peaches

• 4 medium fresh peaches
• 1-2 lemon wedges
• 1 tbl melted butter
• cinnamon
• 1 tsp light brown sugar

Topping

• 1 cup granola
• 1/2 cup whole pecans
• 6-9 fresh strawberries
• fresh mint

For the Mousse:

1. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, confectioner's sugar, strawberry preserves, and vanilla extract until fluffy. About 3-4 minutes.
2. In a another mixing bowl (preferably chilled) whip the whipping cream until soft peaks form. About 5-6 minutes.
3. Begin to add the whipping cream in batches to the cream cheese mixture using a rubber spatula and using a folding motion only. Fold until whipped cream is incorporated. At the 2nd batch, add 1 drop of food coloring, and fold with whipped cream until incorporated.
4. Fold in the third and final batch of whipped cream. Cover and chill.

For the Roasted Peaches:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
2. Clean, halve, and remove the pits from the peaches. Sprinkle with fresh lemon juice.
3. Melt the butter and using a brush, brush all the halves with butter on both sides. Sprinkle cinnamon on both sides of the halves, and the light brown sugar.
4. Place flesh side down on the baking sheet and roast for 15-20 minutes. You are looking for a softer texture, so at 15 minutes pierce with a fork and keep them in a few minutes longer if they are not yet soft enough.
5. Remove from oven and set aside.

For the Topping:

1. Put the granola in a small mixing bowl. Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, put the 1/2 cup pecans in a sandwich bag, seal it, and on a wood or equally sturdy surface, pound the nuts for about a minute yielding a chunky, chopped nut. Add into mixing bowl.
2. Cut 6-8 clean fresh strawberries by first slicing horizontally info about four slices, and then cut those slices twice length-wise for a fast and pretty consistent chop.
3. Add to the mixing bowl and quickly using your hands, mix the topping together.

For the Parfait:

1. In a large, deep wine glass, or in a mason jar if you and yours are going on a picnic and you want to take this summery dessert out to your summery destination to enjoy, first put the cooled roasted peach half.
2. Using a silverware tablespoon, spoon 3 heaps of chilled mousse on to the peach half.
3. Top with topping until the rim of the glass or jar is reached.
4. Garnish with full mint leaves and serve.

Stay glued for Part 2 of my Cream Cheese Capers, Blue Cheese Buffalo Burger Pizza.