I guess some of the bowls and spoons I make are more utilitarian than others, but they certainly can all be used.  I suppose whether a bowl or spoon ends up getting daily use is up to the person who received it, but they are a joy to use.  In any case, I only use finishes that are food safe. 

Of course, something that gets used is bound to show signs of use.  To my mind, this patina of use makes the object all the more beautiful.  The bowl might take on a few dents or scratches, and the spoon may get worn over the years from continually contacting the bottom of the pot.  These marks are just reminders of that object's story. 

Of course, I am speaking of marks of use, not abuse.  Here are some guidelines for care.

• If the bowl or spoon is just used for dry things, it probably will need no treatment at all.  Just dust it off with a dry rag.   Avoid silicone polishes like Pledge.
• If it needs to be washed after stirring the pot, holding salad, etc., then just wash it with a wet soapy rag like the other dishes, rinse, and dry it.  Avoid soaking the bowls for too long, and don't put any of these things in the dishwasher.  If the wood starts looking a little dull, you can reapply some oil -- flaxseed oil, walnut oil, or mineral oil.   Some food-safe beeswax paste is another option.

How I finish bowls and spoons

I use food-grade flax seed oil to finish most of my bowls and all of my spoons.  Both flax seed oil and linseed oil are the oil of flax seeds.  The label "flax seed oil" is used for food-grade oil that is sold in health food stores as an edible product.  Flax seed oil (and linseed oil) penetrate the wood fibers and then polymerize (cure).  Therefore, they provide lasting protection as they harden, or plasticize, within the wood.  This is not true of non-curing oils such as olive oil or mineral oil. 

For things unlikely to visit the sink, I will sometimes use a pure polymerized linseed oil from a company called Tried and True.  This product is still completely free of any harmful chemicals or heavy metal drying agents ("Boiled Linseed Oil" products do have these additives).  This product is thicker because of the heating process and does not penetrate as completely as the thinner flax seed oil.  I use this product for just about any other woodworking project I make (chairs, boxes, etc.).

Sometimes I will also use, in combination with the other treatments, beeswax that is blended with mineral oil.  It is easy to make and use, but does not protect as well as flax seed oil.

In short, you could swallow a spoonful of anything I put on my bowls and spoons with no harmful effects. 

The bowl and spoons in this photograph receive daily use in our house.  I eat cereal every day from the bowl.  The larger spoon is a general use spoon for cooking, stirring, and serving.  The smaller spoons are eating spoons.  They have never been retreated with oil or anything since my original treatment, but they easily could be if I wished to do so.