God wants me to shop at Ikea!

Is it WRONG to use kashrut laws as an excuse to shop for kitchen wares? Does one really NEED a reason to shop at Ikea? No, but it doesn't hurt.

Is a kosher home really a 'kosher' home if you don't have separate milk/meat dishes? What if I were to bring in a box of Ritz crackers? Most would say no. I would say that 99% of my groceries ARE kosher  (I do enjoy the occasional TNT almond or sunflower seed cookies) so food-wise I'm okay. However, I do not have 2 sets of dishes/cutlery/pots etc.. One reason is that the x got the 'dairy' dishes when we split up. The other reason is that I've never had a need for it. I don't really keep any dairy products in the house (except during the Chanukah/Xmas seasons when I go through 5-8 pounds of butter as I bake my fingers off).

I drink almond milk, rarely purchase pre-wrapped cheese which I throw in my lunch bag, yogurt is in a container, and should I buy ice cream in the summer, it's eaten right out of the tub....hey, I'm single and live alone - like YOU have never done that? The odd time I've had pizza was a take out slice on a paper plate, usually eaten in my car. Never thought twice about it but I guess it's like home insurance - it's good to have it, just in case.

And so it's off to Ikea!

Small plates, dinner plates, salad bowls, water glasses, coffee mugs, cutlery and holder. Should be enough, right? Oops, can't forget cooking utensils and holder, cutting board(s), knives, dish holder, cleaning rack.....SERIOUSLY?!? Looks like my list is growing. I guess I forgot how much 'stuff' I used to keep in my kitchen. Seems like a lot of things for 1 person to have in a kitchen with 2 drawers and cupboards. Oh my. This became very overwhelming very quickly. Too much too soon, so I decided to get just a few things. Dish set, cutting board and utensil holder (actually a flower pot). I'll do shopping trip #2 (and hopefully my last) on Sunday for the rest.

Out of protest, I'm gonna buy a wheel of (kosher) brie!

At the end of the day, it makes me feel good knowing I am making an effort. Keeping a kosher home is not such a big deal as I've done it before. I'm doing this because I want to, not because I'm supposed to. Fair enough? Fahrenheit!

Here's a pic of my booty (not bootaayyy) so far. Still need cutlery, green pan, a pot, and perhaps a Kiddush cup!

update: got the cutlery, bread knife, 3q pot, and Kiddush cup/dish. Bought the cheese and it was delish!

Baby steps...