Seen this amazingly good advert for Cadbury Spots V Stripes? All part of the marketing push for a new bar of chocolate. You may scoff but it’s a fun idea!

The advert is great; so is the chocolate incidentally!

We think games are great. They get people playing, they bring people together and sometimes they even reveal an undiscovered talent. That’s why, with the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games around the corner, we’re launching Spots v Stripes.

We’re asking the nation to choose sides and split into Spots or Stripes in order to play, what’s quite possibly, the biggest, longest game ever.

Footy, cricket, bike races, online games, games you’ve made up like full-contact tiddlywinks or even a simple game of ‘tag’. You can play pretty much any game you can imagine.

So how do you take part? First, pick the side you want to play for – Spots or Stripes. Then whenever you play a game against someone from the opposing side, the winner scores a point for his/her side. All the points will be logged right here and updated live on our Score’o’tron. Score enough points and you could even become one of your side’s all-star heroes.

Plus we’ll be laying down weird and wonderful challenges to the nation with big prizes up for grabs. We’ll be stopping the traffic with big city takeovers and we’re bringing Spots v Stripes to local events everywhere.

The Spots v Stripes website allows you to record the scores, there is a running update on the two teams, and plenty of ideas to boot.

This month Phil is making Iced Berry and Lemon Meringue Layer, a real no-fuss dinner party centre piece. You won’t believe how easy it is to make – and it’s the perfect way to celebrate fruit of the season.

Summer’s well and truly underway and British strawberries in the sunshine always spring to mind as the perfect way to enjoy it. If you’re looking for inspirational yummy desserts, this month celebrity chef and Carnation ambassador Phil Vickery shows you how to make a more sophisticated summer treat – an Iced Strawberry and Lemon Meringue Layer.

Bake alongside Phil with this simple step-by-step ‘pudcast’ and say with pride “I Made It”, just like Phil.

Phil’s Tip: Once made, the meringue needs to set for four hours before serving – why not make up a batch the day before your event and leave overnight to set instead!

Are you a part of a baking club or do you and a group of friends share a common interest in baking delicious treats?

Infinite Vision are developing a new television series for a major broadcaster about the delights of home baking. They are on the hunt for clubs set up by keen bakers or more informal groups of friends who like to meet up to share the joys of cooking yummy cakes and desserts. Selected baking clubs will get the opportunity to take part in a filmed masterclass with a renowned master patissier!

It’s a chance to spread the joys of baking with others and learn new skills at the same time!

They are looking for all ages and abilities so why not get in touch to find out more. Email:- baking@infinitevision.tv you need to tell them about your group: where you’re based, how often you meet and what you like to bake.

Picota cherries are available for just a few short weeks (their season runs from mid-June through to August) so you have to be quick to endulge! Last year the Picota Cherry And Manchego ‘tapas’ Salad was a huge flavoursome hit.

This year perhaps chef Rowley Leigh via this video can entice to try out other dishes…

Parents are increasingly recognising the importance of offering their child a balanced, nutritious diet in order to promote healthy growth and development. This is particularly important in the early stages, where studies show 40% of children with predisposing clinical conditions (neurodisability, cystic fibrosis) have some degree of under-nutrition1. Thankfully there is a simple way to make sure your whole family gets the nutrition they need, without the hassle of having to prepare different meals.

Steam cooking is recognised as a highly effective and convenient way for busy parents to prepare their children’s food. The versatility of steam cooking means that you can prepare every type of food –vegetables, fruit, cereals, milk, meat and fish – to offer a more varied and balanced diet. For extra convenience, Miele recommends making large batches of baby food which can be frozen into portions, for easy defrosting and reheating at a later date.

Chef Silvana Franco is a food writer and mother of two small children and in the following video she shows you how to create easy capsule style cooking for your whole family.

http://www.linkto.tv/iframe/show/uuid/Gp9OWIGYDkQ