Meanwhile, the folks at Hormel Foods, makers of our favorite meat-in-a-can, have launched an official SPAM fan club and are offering a new line of SPAM-related products so that you might openly declare your love for this "spiced ham product."

It's a SPAM-a-rama, a SPAM-a-ganza, a wham-bam-thank-you-SPAM.

So anyway, join the SPAM club for $15 a year and receive a T-shirt, membership certificate (suitable for framing!) and a quarterly newsletter full of recipes, games, coupons, etc.

If you're not a joiner, but want to own some SPAM stuff, there's plenty to be had: slippers that spell out SPAM in the sand ($10); a party pack with SPAM apron, tray, cups, pennant and balloons, and dishes in SPAM colors of yellow and blue ($39); SPAM coolers ($14); Frisbees ($2.50) and plenty more.

For information on the club or the stuff, call (800) LUV-SPAM or hit the website, http://www.spam.com.

Then try Mukai-Otani's stew.

1/4 cup pearl barley
3 cups water
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
49-1/2 ounces chicken broth
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
1 medium potato, peeled and diced
1 14-1/2 ounce can stewed tomatoes
1 12-ounce can SPAM, diced
Dash pepper
1 10-3/4 ounce can cream of mushroom soup

In a separate pot, add squash to broth and cook at medium heat. Add barley, onion, potato and tomatoes, cooking until soft but firm. Just before serving, add SPAM and pepper. Thicken with mushroom soup.

Nutritional information unavailable.