Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, so we wanted to share this list of FREE food and activities to help you celebrate in style without spending a lot of money!

• Bath & Body Works: Free Travel Size Signature Collection Item With Coupon (valid starting 2/14) (No Purchase Required!)

• Ben And Jerry’s: Free Americone Ice Cream (valid 2/14 from 5-8 pm only)

• Boston Market: Free Dessert wyb An Individual Meal & Drink (valid 2/14 only)

• The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf: Buy 1, Get 1 Free Beverages (valid 2/14 only)

• Krispy Kreme: Buy 1 Dozen Donuts, Get 12 FREE Valentine’s Day Cards + 12 Free Donut Coupons

• Lowe’s: Free Valentine’s Day Card Creator At Lowes Build And Grow on Saturday Feb. 11th.

• Redbox: Free Movie Rental (valid 2/14 only)

• Qdoba: Buy 1 Entree, Get 1 Free When You Share A Kiss At Qdoba (valid 2/14 only)

• Quiznos: Free Cookie With Printable Coupon (valid 2/14 only)

Thanks, Surviving the Stores!

Super cool gardening resource I wanted to share this weekend! Sprout Robot tells you what seeds you need to be planting and when…just enter your zip code and find out which seeds you need to get into the dirt!

Every week I’ll be posting the best food deals at the different national drug stores. I have found that the drug stores often have great prices on food, especially pantry staples!  I may occasionally highlight other free, moneymaker and ECB/RR deals to help you get the credit needed to get some of these pantry staples for free, using the ECBs, RRs and UP rewards.

Bumble Bee Tuna BOGO (Limit 10)
-$1/2 Bumble Bee products (Recyclebank coupon 75 pts)
Final Price: varies after coupon and BOGO

Cheerios 10-14 oz BOGO (Limit 6)
-$0.50/1 General Mills Honey Nut Cheerios (exp 03/05/2012)
-$0.80/1 General Mills Multi Grain Cheerios with Peanut Butter Cheerios (exp 03/05/2012)
-$0.75/1 General Mills Multi Grain Cheerios Cereal (exp 03/02/2012)
-$0.50/1 General Mills Honey Nut Cheerios (exp 03/02/2012)
-$1/1 General Mills Multi Grain Cheerios Cereal (exp 03/02/2012)
-$1/2 Cheerios Boxes 01/22/2012 SS Insert (exp 03/31/2012)
Final Price: varies after coupons and BOGO

Coffee-Mate 15-16 oz 2/$5
-$1.85/3 Nestle Coffee-Mate Coffee Creamers, 16 oz (exp 03/05/2012)
-$0.55/1 Coffee-Mate Liquid or Powder, Excludes Bliss, 15 oz Rolling
-$0.75/2 Coffee-Mate Liquid or Powder, Excludes Bliss, 15 oz Rolling
Final Price: as low as $1.88 each after coupon wyb 3

Domino Sugar 4 lbs or Smucker’s Preserves 18-20 oz 2/$6

Emerald Breakfast on the Go Nut Blend 5 ct BOGO
-$1/1 Emerald Breakfast on the Go Product (IE), 7.5 oz Rolling
-$0.75/1 Emerald Breakfast on the go! or Canister, 7.5 oz+ 01/08/2012 RP Insert (exp 03/04/2012)
Final Price: varies after coupons and BOGO

Gold Emblem Pistachios 18 oz or Natural Whole Almonds 23.5 oz $6.99

International Delight Coffee Creamer 16 oz 2/$5
-$0.75/1 International Delight, pint or quart 01/08/2012 SS Insert (exp 02/28/2012)
-$1/1 International Delight Product, Share with Friend Rolling
Final Price: as low as $1.50 each after coupon

Kellogg’s Raisin Bran Crunch, Frosted Flakes, Corn Pops, Mini-Wheats or Crunchy Nut 10.8-18.2 oz 2/$5
-$1/2 Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes Cereal (exp 03/10/2012)
-$0.70/2 Kellogg’s Crunchy Nut Cereals (exp 03/10/2012)
-$1/3 Kellogg’s Cereal, 10 oz or Larger 01/08/2012 RP Insert (exp 02/19/2012)
Final Price: as low as $2 each after coupon wyb 2

Pepperidge Farm Goldfish 11 oz or Keebler Club Crackers 16 oz 2/$5
-$1/2 Keebler Crackers and/or Sunshine Cheez-it Baked Crackers 01/29/2012 RP Insert (exp 03/25/2012)
Final Price: $2 each after coupon wyb 2

Domino Sugar 4 lbs $2.49 with in-ad coupon (Limit 3)

Jell-O Gelatin or Instant Pudding Regular or Sugar Free $0.69 with in-ad coupon (Limit 3)

Jif Peanut Butter 18 oz or Smucker’s Strawberry Jelly 20 oz 2/$5 with in-ad coupon (Limit 4)
-$1/2 Jif Peanut Butter, 18 oz, Walgreens IVC Walgreens IVC (exp 02/25/2012)
Final Price: $2 each after coupons wyb 2 (if your store allows both coupons)

Nice! 100% Pure Honey 12 oz $2.99 with in-ad coupon (Limit 3)

Nice! Tomatoes Diced 14.5 oz or Paste 6 oz $0.69 with in-ad coupon (Limit 3)

Nice! or Walgreens Nuts: Pistachios 10 oz, Cashews Halves & Pieces 8 oz or Almonds 14 or 16 oz 2/$7 (or $3.79 each wyb only 1)

Post Select Cereals 11-24 oz or Quaker Select Cereals 13-16 oz 2/$4 (or $2.99 each wyb only 1) (Limit 4)
-$1/1 Post Raisin Bran 02/12/2012 SS Insert (exp 03/25/2012)
-$1/1 Post Grape-Nuts or Grape-Nuts Flakes 01/15/2012 SS Insert (exp 02/26/2012)
-$1/1 Post Shredded Wheat 01/15/2012 SS Insert (exp 02/26/2012)
Final Price: as low as $1 each after coupons wyb 2

Quaker Quick-1 Minute Oats 18 oz $3.29 BOGO with in-ad coupon (Limit 4)
Final Price: $1.65 each after BOGO wyb 2

Welch’s 100% Grape Juice 64 oz $2.99
-$1/1 Welch’s 100% Juice Blends, 64 oz or 6pk Rolling
-$1/2 Welch’s Refrigerated Juice Cocktail or Healthy Start Rolling
Final Price: as low as $1.99 each after coupon

General Mills Cereal 10-16.2 oz 2/$5 (or $2.99 each wyb only 1)
-$0.50/1 General Mills Honey Nut Cheerios (exp 03/05/2012)
-$1/2 General Mills Cereals (exp 03/05/2012)
-$0.75/1 General Mills Multi Grain Cheerios Cereal (exp 03/02/2012)
-$0.50/1 General Mills Honey Nut Cheerios (exp 03/02/2012)
-$1/2 General Mills Cereal (exp 03/02/2012)
-$1/2 General Mills Basic 4, Chex, or Fiber One Cereals (exp 03/02/2012)
-$1/1 General Mills Multi Grain Cheerios Cereal (exp 03/02/2012)
-Print additional General Mills Cereal coupons in the Coupon Database here
Final Price: as low as $1.50 each after coupons wyb 2

Rite Aid Pantry Apricots 6 oz or Prunes 9 oz $1.99

Rite Aid Pantry Vegetable or Apple Juice 64 oz 2/$4 (or $2.49 each wyb only 1)

Rite Aid Pantry Spices Select $1
Great for Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix or Homemade Taco Seasoning.

I hope this helps you decide whether or not to bop into the drugstore this next week to pick up any staples!

Sale prices valid, starting this Sunday. Visit Savings Lifestyle for a complete list of the drugstore deals at each of the major drugstores.

Get Food on the Table, free for life!

Yep, that’s right…I’m super excited about this! Just use the coupon code FEBFREE to take advantage of this deal!

UPDATE: This offer is for NEW Food On The Table users. You can sign up for unlimited meals each week for free. (It’s normally only 3 meals a week and you pay for the unlimited upgrade). With the coupon, you will not have to sign up for the unlimited upgrade, because you already got the upgrade by using the coupon code.

Happy Meal Planning!

You know what.

There are just some days when all I want for lunch is that.

An ooey, gooey, melt in your mouth stacked grilled cheese sandwich.

Stacked?

Yes. Stacked.

While my mom wasn’t the greatest in the kitchen, she knew how to make a mean, mean grilled cheese. She didn’t hold anything back when buttering the bread…on both sides. And she always made each sandwich with two slices of cheese.

(Double the taste!)

(Double the gooey melty goodness!)

(Double the calcium!)

I have vivid memories of learning how to make grilled cheese on my own for the first time. It was probably the first food I learned to cook for myself, and I made it just like my mom! And don’t tell her, but sometimes I snuck a third slice into the sandwich. Mmm.

These days KRAFT Singles are made with real milk and no artificial flavors. And they are still conveniently wrapped individually to preserve freshness and to help make portable for an easy snack on the go, or when traveling!  For more great recipes and serving ideas, visit www.kraftcheese.com/singles.

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, don’t forget you can use heart cookie cutters on your grilled cheese. It’s the perfect way to show a little extra love this Valentine’s Day…without having to spend any extra time, money or creative energy!

Now for this weekend’s giveaway! A “grilled cheese kit” that includes…

• Panini press
• Spatula
• Cookie cutters
• Kraft Singles coupons

All you need for making the perfect grilled cheese sandwich with America’s favorite American cheese!

Contest Details

1. Contest ends Monday, February 13th at 5 pm EST. Winners will be announced back here on this post, and notified via email with further instructions.

• Entry #1: Leave a comment sharing your favorite way to make grilled cheese!
• Entry #2: Tweet the following: Enter to win a Panini Press & Grilled Cheese Kit from @5dollardinners! http://bit.ly/grilledcheez  
• Entry #3: Hang out with us on Facebook, join the free email newsletter, or get RSS updates.
• BONUS ENTRY: Put Your Love on the Map – Share your favorite thing about Kraft singles over on the KRAFT Singles Facebook Map. (Each person is entered into a sweepstakes to win a grocery card worth up to $500!)
• Please leave separate comments for each entry.

2. Winner will be selected by Random.org.

**NOTE: If you receive the email newsletter and wish to enter this giveaway, click on the title of this giveaway to get to the site and leave a comment on the site with your name and email address to be entered!

*Disclosure: Kraft Foods is providing the prizes for this program at no cost to me. This program is not administered or sponsored by Kraft Foods or its affiliates, but solely by $5 Dinners. I am one of several bloggers selected by Kraft Foods to participate in the KRAFT Singles “Put Your Love on the Map” program. While I have been compensated for my time, my opinions are my own, and I have not been paid to post positive comments.

Every Friday, Swagbucks gives away anywhere between 100 and 1000 Swagbucks for searches all day long!  As you accumulate Swagbucks, you can trade them in for gift cards to a number of online and retail stores.  For example, a $5 Amazon gift card can be purchased with just 450 Swagbucks.  So if you score one of these mega swagbucks giveaway of 1,000 swagbucks, you’ll get 2 $5 Amazon.com gift cards just like that! (Yes, it’s true. And yes, it’s that easy!)

A few new gift cards are on sale including:

• $5 off at Alice.com e-Gift Card for only 550 SB
• $5 off at Cookie’s Kids for only 180 SB
• $5 off at Ecomom for only 349 SB or $15 off for only 999 SB
• $5 off at GourmetGiftBaskets.com for only 249 SB
• $5 off at Mom’s Milk Boutique for only 329 SB
• $5 off at Paper Culture for only 99 SB
• $25 Travelocity Hotel Promotional Card only 299 SB

So if you’ve got some internet searching to do…do it through Swagbucks and win big today!

Have you always wanted a Frozen Hot Chocolate from Serendipity, but never made it there?  Check out this wonderful recipe from Picky Palate and enjoy that same delicious taste at home!

Want a sneak peak at what coupons are in this Sunday’s paper?

There is scheduled to be 1 Smart Source and 1 Red Plum in this weekend’s paper.

• $1/1 Activia, 4 pack 02/12/2012 SS Insert (exp 03/19/2012)
• $0.75/1 Chinet Comfort Cup, 12 or 16 oz 02/12/2012 SS Insert (exp 04/29/2012)
• $0.45/1 Daisy Cottage Cheese 02/12/2012 SS Insert (exp 04/30/2012)
• $0.50/1 French’s French Fried Onions 02/12/2012 SS Insert (exp 04/15/2012)
• $1/1 Hormel Always Tender Flavored Meat 02/12/2012 SS Insert (exp 04/09/2012)
• $1/1 Hormel Country Crock Side Dish 02/12/2012 SS Insert (exp 04/09/2012)
• $0.50/1 Johnsonville Italian Sausage 02/12/2012 SS Insert (exp 03/31/2012)
• $0.55/1 Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese 02/12/2012 SS Insert (exp 03/15/2012)
• $0.50/1 Mazola Oil or Spray 02/12/2012 SS Insert (exp 04/15/2012)
• $1/1 Post Raisin Bran 02/12/2012 SS Insert (exp 03/25/2012)
• $1/1 Precious Block Mozzarella, Fresh Mozzarella, or Homestyle Shredded Mozzarella Cheese 02/12/2012 SS Insert (exp 05/31/2012)
• $1/1 So Delicious Dairy Free 02/12/2012 SS Insert (exp 04/30/2012)

Check out the rest of this week’s Sunday Coupon Preview!

Learn more about how the Coupon Preview can help you spend less at the grocery store!

::: Download the FREE $5 Dinners Toolbar – never miss a recipe, coupon, deal or meal plan! Learn more. :::

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We do LOTS of bulk cooking because our family of seven always seems to be eating  but momma doesn’t always want to be cooking, and it’s important to us (and to our budget) to prepare home cooked meals as often as possible.  Our five kiddos are pretty picky and all seem to have different tastes so it feels a lot like hitting the lottery when we find a dish that always pleases everyone.  These meatballs are on that short list of lottery recipes so we like to double the recipe below and make an even bigger batch to put away in the freezer because they still go fast.

The combination of bacon and cheese in these meatballs keeps them moist and makes them so flavorful that they’re perfect on their own, with pasta, or with dipping sauce as an appetizer.  I also love that these meatballs are baked and not fried since that saves a lot of time in front the stove.  Freeze meal sized portions in freezer bags and you’ll have some easy home cooked meals ready to go when you need them!

::: Download the FREE $5 Dinners Toolbar – never miss a recipe, coupon, deal or meal plan! Learn more. :::

Every now and again, I’ll share a few great deals and coupons from the Food Allergies on a Budget site! Turns out there are lots and lots and lots of great deals out there! Check ‘em out…

Freebies

• Free $10 Credit at Vitacost.com plus February Sales
• Free Enjoy Life Foods E-book
• Gluten Free/Dairy Free Freezer Cooking Menu from OAMM

Coupons

• $.55/1 So Delicious Almond Plus or Dairy Free product
• $2/1 Rudi’s Gluten Free bread
• $1.50/2 8th Continent Soy Milk
• Alexia coupon, plus Target coupon, great stacking opportunity

Your Stories

• Pregnancy Induced Allergies
• No More Corn, But It’s in Everything?
• My Doctor Thinks I’m Crazy

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