Multipurpose plate

A method of using a multipurpose plate comprising:

• providing a plate that includes a sheet of rigid material comprising:
• a centrally located rigid plate portion of the sheet of rigid material having regions for holding food;
• first and second tiered rigid hand receiving portions that receive a user's left or right hand for holding the plate, said first and second tiered rigid hand receiving portions residing on a first side of the sheet of rigid material and at opposite ends thereof;
• a first outwardly extending portion that extends along a second side of the sheet of rigid material and runs congruent with said second side, said first outwardly extending portion extending out and away from the rigid plate portion along a path of the second side of the sheet of rigid material, the first outwardly extending portion having a first section that does not contact the rigid bottom portion and extends along a path congruent with said second side of the sheet of rigid material;
• an opening residing between the first section of the first outwardly extending portion and the second side of the sheet of rigid material, the opening having an open access region for inserting a stemmed drinking vessel into said opening and a resting region, whereby the open access region receives a stem of said stemmed drinking vessel while at said resting region portions of upper surfaces of said first outwardly extending portion and said rigid plate portion receive and hold a bowl portion of said stemmed drinking vessel, said opening having a void region with no rigid material extending along a length of the second side of the sheet of rigid material with the open access region at a first end of said void region and said resting region at a second end of said void region;
• a third side of the sheet of rigid material residing opposite said second side;
• a second outwardly extending portion at said third side extending out from the rigid plate portion along a path of outer edges of the rigid plate portion;
• a slit separating said second outwardly extending portion into first and second separated portions, said second portion comprises a flexible portion of said second outwardly extending portion that is movable in upward and downward directions for receiving and holding one or more eating related item, the slit having a length less than a length of the second outwardly extending portion;
• a recessed receptacle portion on a surface of the rigid plate portion;
• a raised retaining structure for receiving in said recessed receptacle portion, whereby together the raised retaining structure and the recessed receptacle portion receive and hold a container;
• a user's hand holding the plate at the first or second tiered rigid hand receiving portions whereby the user's thumb rests in a thumb receiving portion;
• the user inserting the stemmed drinking vessel into the opening of the first outwardly extending portion, the stem of the stemmed drinking vessel passing through the open access region, through the void region and stopping at the resting region of the first outwardly extending portion whereby the bowl portion rests on the upper surfaces of said first outwardly extending portion and said rigid plate portion receive;
• and
• the user inserting one or more of the one or more eating related items into the slit of the second outwardly extending portion whereby the flexible portion of said second outwardly extending portion moves in at least one of the upward and downward directions to receive and hold one or more of said eating one or more items related within said slit by contact pressure;
• whereby the user is able to securely eat food off the plate while the plate holds the stemmed drinking vessel and the one or more eating related items.