I may not seem like it, but I am the ultimate Christmas dork. I love Christmas and everything associated with it.

The Boy on the other hand can be quite the grinch when it comes to my favourite season of the year. So you can imagine, there are a few tense words when it came to the tree being put up this year.

I demanded, begged, cajoled and whinged until he took my Christmas box out of the garage. I then promptly went into a Christmas decorative spin and put up my Christmas tree (theme was white and silver this year if you were wondering). I didn’t allow him to help or touch my tree.

For the last two weeks, I’ve been playing Christmas songs in the house, wrapping presents, buying more gifts and wrapping some more.

As a child growing up, Christmas was spent with my Dad and his family. There would be 7 of us kids in the house at the best of times (so you can imagine the noise that 6 girls and 1 boy can generate) if we all happened to be sharing Christmas that year as a family.

Some of my fondest childhood memories occur in this time, and though I may not see them anymore, I choose to remember the good and with that I choose to make Christmas a spectacular memory and celebration of our own.

So what better way to wrap up this year’s Playground posts than with The Boy’s ultimate Playground post as our Christmas post?

I think this is his best one yet!

So here you are, our Christmas present to all of you, The Boy’s Final Playground of 2013, simply entitled Smoke.

Feast with your eyes, have a Happy Christmas and a more Merry New Year 🙂

{Smoked Pommes Puree, Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder topped with Jus, Crispy Red Quinoa, Caperberries, Red Veined Sorrel & Micro Herbs}

There’s a funny story associated with the block of wood which the food is spectacularly displayed on, but I shan’t bore you with it. Just know that we spent the better part of our morning in Hobart, Tasmania with my DD and her hubby searching for it.

There was also a smoking gun involved, no pun intended 😛

We think this post brings together the magic and glamour of Christmas as well as the rusticity and soulfulness of eating at home.

Don’t let the smoke get in your eyes 🙂

Don’t drink, don’t text, just don’t do anything stupid whilst driving. Stay safe and enjoy the magic of Christmas.