bacon

08.03.18

Spaghetti Carbonara (Gluten-Free)

Posted on by Lexi , Views: 4578
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When we were in Italy, Carbonara was a staple at almost every restaurant. What I love about this dish is that it uses pantry staples and it’s easy enough to make on a quick night, while having robust flavor. It uses minimal ingredients that are inexpensive and easy to find! I knew I wanted to give you a perfect Gluten-Free Spaghetti Carbonara that everybody will love! You’ll feel fancy and totally surprise your family and guests. Made in partnership with ALDI.

Spaghetti Carbonara

Gluten-Free Spaghetti Carbonara

I am so excited to partner with my friends at ALDI to bring you today’s easy spaghetti carbonara recipe! It’s a total staple that’s affordable and beyond delicious.

There’s more to love about the liveGfree line at ALDI! The gluten-free brand is now backed by the Good Housekeeping Seal! This means that each liveGfree product was evaluated and quality tested by the food and nutrition experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute, so you know it’s a product you can trust. They also guarantee quality on all of their private-label products. If a customer doesn’t like an ALDI-exclusive product, they can bring it back and they’ll return your money and/or replace the product!

Essential Carbonara Ingredients:

  • Gluten Free Brown Rice Spaghetti: I’m loving liveGfree Brown Rice Pasta from ALDI
  • Egg Yolks: ALDI has SimplyNature Organic Cage Free Brown Eggs
  • Bacon or Pancetta: I’m loving Appleton Farms Never Any! Bacon that was raised free from antibiotics, added hormones, steroids and animal byproducts. The more than 20 Never Any! meats have also earned the Good Housekeeping Seal.
  • Pecorino Romano or Parmesan: We used Priano Shredded Parmesan Cheese or you could use the Priano Parmesan Cheese Wedge in this recipe
  • Tons of fresh Stonemill Ground Pepper

Gluten-Free Pasta Aldi

Because it’s only a few simple pantry ingredients, you want them to be high quality! Normally when making a cheesy type of pasta, you thicken with some sort of starch or flour, but this dish is thickened with egg yolks, making it naturally gluten-free (assuming you are using gluten-free pasta).

spaghetti alla carbonara

How do you make carbonara

spaghetti carbonara recipe

Gluten-Free Spaghetti Carbonara

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Prep Time 00:05 Cook Time 00:15 Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 12 oz. liveGfree Gluten Free Brown Rice Spaghetti
  • 1 1/2 cup pasta water
  • Stonemill Sea Salt Grinder for water
  • 6 pieces nitrate-free Appleton Farms Never Any! Bacon, sliced into 1/2" pieces (see note)
  • 3 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 6 SimplyNature Organic Cage Free Brown Egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup finely grated Priano Shredded Parmesan Cheese , plus more for garnish
  • 1 teaspoon fresh Stonemill Ground Pepper, plus more for garnish

Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for spaghetti. Cook according to package instructions.
  2. While pasta is cooking, cook bacon until crispy. If there is an excessive amount of bacon grease, as in more than 2 tablespoons drain the excess. Add smashed garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute and then remove them. You want to cook it just long enough to release the garlic flavor into the bacon.
  3. In a small bowl mix together egg yolks, parmesan cheese and black pepper.
  4. Once pasta has finished cooking, reserve about 1 1/2 cups pasta water. Drain pasta and return it back to the pot.
  5. Working quickly add 1 cup of the reserved pasta water into the egg yolk mixture and whisk together. Add this mixture to the pasta. The residual heat from the pan and the hot pasta will cook the egg yolks gently without scrambling them. The sauce should be rich and creamy, but not overly thick. Add more of the reserved pasta water if needed to thin out the sauce (see note). Add salt to taste if needed, but the parmesan cheese and bacon should be enough to season it.
  6. Serve immediately with additional black pepper, parmesan cheese and garnish with red pepper flakes, if desired.

Recipe Notes

  1. Traditionally carbonara uses pancetta. We used bacon here because you are more likely to have this on hand than pancetta. If you'd like to stick to the authentic flavor than sub in about 4 oz. diced pancetta.
  2. Depending on the brand of pasta you use, you may need more water to thin out the sauce.
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There may be affiliate links in this post! By clicking on them, or purchasing recommended items I may receive a small compensation, at no cost to you! However, I only recommend products I absolutely love and use in my own home! Thank you for supporting Lexi's Clean Kitchen when you shop! See my privacy policy for more information about this, the information we save, and more!

 

Here’s the lovely GF Carbonara we enjoyed in Italy at Rome Cavalleri!

Carbonara in Italy

Want other gluten-free pasta dishes? Try these favorites:

This post is sponsored by ALDI. All thoughts and opinions are always 100% my own! I love the integrity of their products and think you’ll love them too. Thank you for continuing to support LCK and the brands I work with!

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07.26.18

Collard Greens with Bacon

Posted on by Lexi , Views: 1968
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These braised collard greens with bacon are the perfect combination of smoky, salty, sweet, sour and umami with an optional hint of heat if you want! These vitamin rich vegetables are the best addition to a southern fried chicken dinner, or they make a great side with other braised meat and vegetables.

How to cook collard greens

Collard Greens with Bacon

Collard greens with bacon a staple on southern tables, but really they should be a staple everywhere! These vitamin-rich greens are in abundance in the summer months and for sure you’ll see them at any farmer’s market or tucked away in your CSA box. When they’re braised with smoky bacon they’re just what you want on your table now!

What Are Collard Greens?

Collard greens are dark, leafy greens with a tough stem, related to the turnip, mustard greens, and kale family. These iron and vitamin-rich greens do best when cooked low and slow and often with a smoked meat, like a ham hock or bacon. While tasty, this method of cooking greens isn’t often conducive to weeknight meals, so we re-vamped the traditional southern braised greens to be ready for any night of the week!

Are Collard Greens Healthy?

Collard greens supply good doses of protein, fiber, calcium and iron, but also provides more impressive amounts of other key vitamins and minerals.

Collard Greens Recipe

How Do You Prep Collard Greens?

  1. Start by cutting out the tough, fibrous stem. You can do this easily by laying each collard green on top of on another, rolling them up and slicing out the stem.
  2. Next you want to wash them really well. Greens can hold a lot of grit, so you want to fill a large bowl with cold water and submerge the greens. Swish them around for a moment to get all of that grit out, and then let them sit so all the dirt settles to the bottom. Then pull out the greens. If they were especially dirty you may want to repeat this step once or twice more until the water is clear.

Collard Green Recipe

This week we’re taking a trip down south and dishing out a new recipe each day to complete the ultimate Southern Fried Chicken Dinner! Each day this week we’ll be sharing a recipe to complete an epic southern dinner!

Stay tuned for the rest of the week for the Ultimate Southern Dinner:

Collard Greens

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Prep Time 00:10 Cook Time 00:45 Serves 4

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Heat a large heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat and add bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally until crisp, about 6-8 minutes.
  2. Lower heat to medium-low and add sliced onion. Cook until beginning to soften, 7 minutes, stirring to prevent burning.
  3. Return heat to medium heat and add 1/4 of the collard greens and 1 cup chicken stock. Scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan and let the greens cook down a bit until you can fit more in the pan. Continue to add more greens until all are able to fit in the pan.
  4. Cook, stirring occasionally until the greens are completely wilted down and have changed color to a dark green, about 25 minutes. Add more liquid if it has evaporated before the collards have cooked down. 
  5. Add coconut sugar and apple cider vinegar and and continue to cook until most of the liquid has evaporated from the pan, about 5 more minutes. Taste and season with red pepper flakes, and salt if needed (though do taste, as the bacon will add quite a salty flavory). Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

  1. Collard greens, especially those from the farm, can be really gritty! Make sure to wash well by plunging the greens into a large bowl of cold water and letting them sit for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water by pulling them straight up without disturbing any dirt that fell to the bottom of the bowl. 
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There may be affiliate links in this post! By clicking on them, or purchasing recommended items I may receive a small compensation, at no cost to you! However, I only recommend products I absolutely love and use in my own home! Thank you for supporting Lexi's Clean Kitchen when you shop! See my privacy policy for more information about this, the information we save, and more!
05.18.18

Chicken Bacon Ranch Baked Hummus Dip

Posted on by Lexi , Views: 7219
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I am so excited about this Chicken Bacon Ranch Baked Hummus Dip! Chicken, bacon, and ranch flavor is one of my all-time favorite flavor combinations, and if you haven’t tried baked hummus, you need to try it immediately!! This hummus dip recipe is made in partnership with Van’s Foods Gluten Free Crackers!

Chicken Bacon Ranch Baked Hummus Dip

I am SO excited to partner with my friends at Van’s Foods to bring you today’s recipe, especially since May is Celiac Awareness Month! When entertaining and making a dip, I always have 4 things to serve it with:

  • These crackers (our favorite is Fire-Roasted Veggie)
  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Grape Tomatoes or Red Pepper Slices

Vans Gluten Free Crackers

They are gluten-free (it fools everyone), so delicious, and made with ingredients you can feel good about serving.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Baked Hummus Dip

If you like this hummus dip recipe, try these others:

Want other dip recipes? Here are our other favorites: 

Chicken Bacon Ranch Baked Hummus Dip

Watch the video:

 

Chicken Bacon Ranch Baked Hummus Dip

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Prep Time 00:05 Cook Time 00:20 Serves 6

Ingredients

Serve with

  • sliced cucumbers
  • carrot sticks
  • celery sticks
  • cherry tomatoes 
  • Van's Gluten-Free Crackers (We like: Fire-Roasted Veggie, Multigrain, The Perfect 10, Lots of Everything)

Directions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350ºF and place an 8" oval or similar-sized oven-safe dish on a rimmed baking sheet.
  2. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add caramelized onion, green onion, shredded chicken, bacon, garlic, salt, pepper and spices. Cook for 1-2 minutes until crisp and fragrant. Let cool for 5 minutes. Add hummus to combine.
  3. Place hummus mixture into oven safe container and sprinkle with cheddar cheese. 
  4. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until fully heated through and the cheese is melted.
  5. Serve with Van's gluten-free crackers and vegetable crudité.

Recipe Notes

  1. We left the caramelized onion as an option as it does add a significant amount of time to the recipe. To caramelize an onion: In a skillet heat 1 teaspoon oil and 1 teaspoon butter and add in diced onion. Let cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until they cook down and brown, about 30-40 minutes.
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There may be affiliate links in this post! By clicking on them, or purchasing recommended items I may receive a small compensation, at no cost to you! However, I only recommend products I absolutely love and use in my own home! Thank you for supporting Lexi's Clean Kitchen when you shop! See my privacy policy for more information about this, the information we save, and more!

This post is sponsored by Van’s Foods. All thoughts and opinions are always 100% my own! I love their crackers and think you’ll love them too! Thank you for continuing to support LCK and the brands I work with!

05.16.18

Sheet Pan Classic Breakfast Bake (Eggs, Bacon, & Home Fries!)

Posted on by Lexi , Views: 8550
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This Sheet Pan Classic Breakfast is made up of Eggs, Bacon, & Home Fries and comes together in a pinch and made using only ONE PAN. It’s a great one pan breakfast bake that is perfect for a weekend brunch or breakfast to feed a crowd with little to no mess!

One Pan Breakfast Bake

Sheet Pan Classic Breakfast Bake

We are so excited to kick off this sheet pan series! Each Wednesday for the next few weeks we will be sharing sheet pan meals that are simple to make and packed with flavor.

We love sheet pan recipes for so many reasons: they’re easy to prepare and easy to clean. When creating this series our main goal was to always have a meal packed with flavor while also being hands-off to give you a little extra time in your life. Yes, there are a few steps to follow in these recipes, but aside from mixing a few ingredients together or chopping a few vegetables the cooking process is mostly hands-off! Check out the tips below to make sheet pan cooking a breeze.

Making a full on brunch spread on a sheet pan allows for a more relaxing morning before guests arrive, and if cooking for a crowd, it will certainly be way more efficient. You can easily double the recipe to use two sheet pans and create a full meal for 8 people without breaking a sweat. And you can even enjoy that mimosa while you’re at it!

Sheet Pan Breakfast Potatoes

Tips for sheet pan cooking:

  • Read the recipe all the way through (of course) and plan to use a timer! Most recipes require different cooking times, so make sure to use a timer so you can truly walk away from the oven and not have to worry about when you are adding anything in to the oven.
  • Do the prep ahead of time: Cut vegetables, make sauce or mix spices the night ahead of time if you are looking to speed up the process.
  • Use parchment paper to make clean up a breeze.
  • Use the correct size sheet pan. When we say sheet pan we are referring to the rimmed half sheet pan which is 18″ by 13″. The size of the sheet pan matters because you do not want to overcrowd the pan when cooking, so if you are using a smaller sheet pan you may need to use 2 to achieve the same result.

If you like this recipe, try these other sheet pan meals:

Sheet Pan Breakfast Bake

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Sheet Pan Classic Breakfast (Eggs, Bacon, & Home Fries!)

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Prep Time 00:10 Cook Time 00:40 Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 2 large yellow potatoes, cleaned and diced to 1/2" cubes (see note)
  • 1 medium onion, small dice
  • 1 red or green bell pepper, small dice
  • 1 teaspoon avocado oil (see note)
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 6 pieces nitrate-free bacon
  • 4 pasture-raised eggs, more as desired
  • fine sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste (see note)

Directions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 400ºF and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl combine diced potato, bell pepper, onion, avocado oil, and spices. Toss to combine and pour onto a rimmed baking sheet.
  3. Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes.
  4. Remove pan and move vegetable mixture to one side of the pan. Add bacon in strips to the other side and return to oven for 12 minutes.
  5. Remove from oven and move bacon to the side.  Move the hash brown mixture around with excess bacon fat to get the potatoes nice and crisp. Move potatoes back to the side and create four small divots in potatoes to crack the eggs. Crack eggs in the divots and return to oven to bake for 8-10 minutes. Bake until eggs are cooked for desired texture. 8 minutes are soft runny yellow yolks or 10 minutes for more fully baked eggs.
  6. Plate the hash browns and eggs on to a plate and briefly drain the bacon of excess fat on paper towel before plating and serving. Salt and pepper to taste (but taste first as the bacon does add salt to the dish).

Recipe Notes

  1. Can use sweet potatoes if desired
  2. We only use a small amount of oil here to help the vegetables cook because the bacon will release fat that we will use to crisp up the hash browns later.
  3. The bacon releases a lot of salt, which is mixed in with the hash browns so make sure to cook the recipe through and then taste and add salt (and pepper) then.
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There may be affiliate links in this post! By clicking on them, or purchasing recommended items I may receive a small compensation, at no cost to you! However, I only recommend products I absolutely love and use in my own home! Thank you for supporting Lexi's Clean Kitchen when you shop! See my privacy policy for more information about this, the information we save, and more!

09.18.17

One-Pot Apple Cider Braised Chicken with Brussels Sprouts and Bacon

Posted on by Sabrina Brown , Views: 34752
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One Pot Apple Cider Braised Chicken with Brussels Sprouts & Bacon (paleo, dairy-free, gluten-free) - Lexi's Clean Kitchen

This One-Pot Apple Cider Braised Chicken with Brussels Sprouts and Bacon is the perfect fall meal! Packed with vegetables and hearty autumn flavor, this dish will be the hit of any dinner, weekday or weeknight! Made in partnership with Shenandoah Valley Organic!

One Pot Apple Cider Braised Chicken Brussels Sprouts Bacon | Lexi's Clean Kitchen

The salty bacon, sweet apple cider sauce, brussels sprouts, and perfectly cooked fall off the bone chicken is the ultimate flavor combination for when you are craving something comforting!

One Pot Apple Cider Braised Chicken Brussels Sprouts Bacon | Lexi's Clean Kitchen

I am so excited to partner with my friends at Shenandoah Valley Organic for today’s awesome dish. SVO is a locally minded company that prides itself in producing the highest quality chicken grown on family-owned farms. Their Farmer Focus line allows you to actually see what farms your chicken is coming from, since each package you pick up at the store has a Farm ID for easy navigation on their website!

One Pot Apple Cider Braised Chicken with Brussels Sprouts & Bacon - Lexi's Clean Kitchen

Dairy-free, grain-free, low-carb, minimal ingredients and one pan for easy clean-up = fall dinner WIN in our book!

One Pot Apple Cider Braised Chicken Brussels Sprouts Bacon | Lexi's Clean Kitchen

One Pot Apple Cider Braised Chicken Brussels Sprouts Bacon | Lexi's Clean Kitchen

One-Pot Apple Cider Braised Chicken with Brussels Sprouts and Bacon

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Prep Time 5 minutes Cook Time 45 minutes Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 5 pieces nitrate-free bacon
  • 2 pounds SVO bone-in chicken drumsticks and or chicken thighs
  • 1/4 cup leeks, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, more to taste
  • 1/2 pound brussels sprouts, quartered
  • 1 bundle fresh thyme
  • 2 cups fresh apple cider
  • 2 teaspoons dijon mustard, more to taste
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Directions

  1. In a large dutch oven, cook bacon until crispy over medium heat. Remove from pan and set aside on a plate lined with a papertowel. Pour out all but 2 teaspoons bacon fat.
  2. Heat the bacon fat over medium-high heat.
  3. Pat the chicken dry and season generously with salt and pepper.
  4. Sear chicken until brown on both sides in the dutch oven. This should take about 5 minutes per side.
  5. Take chicken out of the pan and set aside on a plate.
  6. Add the leeks, garlic, a pinch of salt, a pinch of black pepper, and cinnamon. Stir well, making sure to scrape up the brown bits at the bottom of th pan. Cook until leeks are translucent.
  7. Add in the brussels sprouts and stir until combined. dijon mustard and thyme. Stir well.
  8. Pour in the apple cider and mix until everything is well combined. Make sure all of the brown bits from the bottom of the pan have been scraped up. Cover and bring the sauce to a boil. Lower the heat, and add back in the chicken. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked through.
  9. Take the chicken, brussels sprouts, and thyme sprigs out of the pan. Set the thyme aside, and place the chicken and brussels sprouts on the desired serving dish.
  10. Add maple syrup to the sauce and bring to a high simmer over medium-high heat. Whisk frequently until the sauce has become thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, this should take around 5-8 minutes. Taste and adjust mustard, sea salt, and black pepper based on desired taste.
  11. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Garnish with bacon and thyme and serve warm!
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There may be affiliate links in this post! By clicking on them, or purchasing recommended items I may receive a small compensation, at no cost to you! However, I only recommend products I absolutely love and use in my own home! Thank you for supporting Lexi's Clean Kitchen when you shop! See my privacy policy for more information about this, the information we save, and more!

Find SVO in a store near you by plugging your zip code into their store locator here. This post is sponsored by Shenandoah Valley Organic. All thoughts and opinions are always 100% my own! I love the integrity of their products and think you’ll love them too. Thank you for continuing to support LCK and the brands I work with!

09.04.17

Gluten-Free Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

Posted on by Sabrina Brown , Views: 13079
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Gluten Free Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad - Lexi's Clean Kitchen

Grilled chicken, my go-to dairy-free caesar dressing, crisp romaine lettuce, bacon, and ripe heirloom tomatoes come together perfectly in this Gluten-Free Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad! The perfect make-ahead lunch, BBQ side, or dinner for any night of the week!

Gluten Free Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad - Lexi's Clean Kitchen

Gluten Free Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad - Lexi's Clean Kitchen

I’ve always love a good caesar salad, since I was a kid! I especially loved a good creamy caesar dressing. The Creamy Caesar Dressing from my cookbook is my all-time favorite, it’s ‘cleaned up’ from junky ingredients but doesn’t skimp on the creaminess and the flavor! I’m sharing it with you in today’s recipe!

Gluten Free Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad - Lexi's Clean Kitchen

Make all of your ingredients and then COMBINE. It’s really that simple! This dish will be a hit at your BBQ, as your easy weeknight dinner option, or simply anytime of year!

Gluten Free Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad - Lexi's Clean Kitchen

Want other Caesar Salad Ideas? Try my Chicken Caesar Burgers or my Grilled Romaine Caesar Salad with Blackened Shrimp!

Gluten Free Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad - Lexi's Clean Kitchen

Gluten Free Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad - Lexi's Clean Kitchen

Gluten-Free Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

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Prep Time 5 minutes Cook Time 20 minutes Serves 6

Ingredients

    Batch Caesar Dressing from page 320 of the Lexi's Clean Kitchen Cookbook

    Everything Else

    • 1 8-ounce package bacon, cooked crispy
    • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
    • 1 head romaine lettuce, roughly chopped
    • 1 16-ounce package gluten-free pasta
    • 8-ounces cherry tomatoes, sliced
    • 1 lemon, juiced
    • Salt and pepper, as desired

    Directions

    1. Make the dressing: In a high-speed blender combine all caesar salad ingredients. Pulse once or twice just until blended. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired and set aside.
    2. Season chicken with salt and pepper and grill for 8-10 minutes on each side until no pink remains. Cut into cubes and set aside.
    3. Make pasta as instructed on package then drain and place into a large bowl.
    4. Assemble: In a large bowl, add pasta, bacon, tomatoes, lettuce, and chicken. Pour over dressing and mix to combine. Add 1/2 lemon juiced, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy!

    Recipe Notes

    1. If you want it creamier, making extra dressing!
    2. You can use rotisserie chicken, too!
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    There may be affiliate links in this post! By clicking on them, or purchasing recommended items I may receive a small compensation, at no cost to you! However, I only recommend products I absolutely love and use in my own home! Thank you for supporting Lexi's Clean Kitchen when you shop! See my privacy policy for more information about this, the information we save, and more!