The often misunderstood Spork. Is it a Spoon or a Fork ? A cross between both eating utensils first spotted by this author at Taco Bell. A member of that wonderul cultery known as plastic silverware.  It's serrated teeth allow for cutting through food, while the spoon part allows scooping of  the food into it. It could be very useful in eating Spam, also another confused product, is it meat or what ?  Seen those commercials for Spamburgers ? Good grief, just what I want to eat, what's next.....Spam on a stick ? Anyway that's a subject for another webpage.

Plastic silverware is a marvelous invention, with many practical purposes. Besides stuffing your face, it can be used for household chores, digging in the sandbox for the small fry, and for launching various projectiles at the dinner table. A disposable utensil for picnics, fast food markets, and lunch boxes it has found it's niche in Americana.  Besides eating, plastic knives may  be used for spreading putty, spoons for scooping paints, and such products from their containers, and forks for impromptu combs, and back scratchers. My favorite application is using spoons, and sporks for launching projectiles.

Plastic tea spoons have a longer, but thinner shank for that little extra leverage, but prone to snapping if stressed too much. Soup spoons found mainly at Chinese restaurants will hold a larger payload, and the common, everyday spoon is your best all around bet for those mischievous pranks.

Plastic silverware comes in many styles, and colors. White seems to be the most prevalent color, and among the cheaper variety. Dollar Tree stores have a rainbow of colors available, along with a "chrome-plated" version for those fancy shin-digs. Among eateries around the neighborhood, I have found the  best plasticware ( which it is also commonly known as) to be found at Taco Casa. It is a sturdily made item, and comes in a  handsome black color. Taco Bell is home of the Spork, and recently has been found at my local QuickTrip convenience store.  A local eating place even has plasticware dispensers. Luckily they haven't made people start paying for it yet. I prefer the silverware that comes wrapped in cellophane to insure cleanliness, because so many times you will see people touching other pieces as they clumsily gather their utensils, or dropping them on the floor and replacing them in the container. Ever wondered if some unscrupulous restaurateur washes, and replaces used silverware ? Let's hope to heck not ! 

Unearthed in my mother-in-law's cupboard in Amarillo, Texas while looking for a midnight snack  is what to be thought of as a pre-historic, or is that pre-plastic eating utensil, the Paper Spoon.. Yes, you read that correctly....the paper spoon ! As stated on the box, "practical for picnics, parties, touring, camping, lunch boxes, sick room, and general household use". The other side of the box states "Not affected by heat or cold, Sanitary ~ Inexspensive ~ Convienent, Sold at all Kress Stores" They came packaged ten to a box, and are teaspoon sized. When the box was opened, it yielded yet another treasure, a miniature paper spoon, perhaps for feeding baby, or those smaller appetites.

I'll post pictures of the find, spooner or later....sorry couldn't resist.