Playing with your food. Good or bad thing?

When I was a child and teenager living with my parents and subject to strict table manners, myself and my other siblings were often told off for 'playing' with our food.

This was often 'pea sharks swimming through the sea of gravy in the Yorkshire puddings' or making house shapes out of mashed potato and emulating Desperate Dan cow pies as we stuck the sausages into the mashed spuds. I'm sure that we did lots of similar things too and would love to hear of your own experiences and do you still play with your food before you eat it?

Me? Of course I don't play with food anymore... well, not often. Tee hee.

Die!!! Die!!! Gingerbread man!!!