Looking for Gluten-Free or Dairy-Free Recipes?

I've been very busy over at The Gluten-Free Casein-Free Pantry.

As the mother of a child with dietary restrictions, I am passionate about finding the very best gluten-free and casein-free food available. At The Gluten-Free Casein-Free Pantry you will find recipes, new product information, and great deals to help you implement a restricted diet.

If you are interested in gluten-free or dairy-free eating options, please visit me at The Gluten-Free Casein-Free Pantry.

Chewy Chocolate-Peanut Butter Snack Bars

2 1/2 cups crispy rice cereal
2 cups gluten-free oats (I use Cream Hill Estate's Lara's Rolled Oats)
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup peanut butter (We like Skippy Natural Peanut Butter)
1 teaspoon alcohol-free vanilla extract (I use Frontier Vanilla Flavor)

In a large bowl, combine the rice cereal, oats, and mini chocolate chips. Set aside.

Grease a 9" x 13" baking dish with cooking spray or coconut oil. I prefer to use coconut oil to grease the baking dishes.

Combine the brown sugar and honey in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat just until boiling. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla until smooth. Pour over the cereal and oat mixture and mix well.

Press into the prepared pan. Allow to cool, then cut in squares.

This recipe was adapted from one found at allrecipes.com. Changes were made to accomodate dietary restrictions.

Check out the great recipes at Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Tuesday Tastes Party, Tuesdays at the Table, and Tempt my Tummy Tuesday.

Make It a No-Spend Weekend

If weekends usually include shopping, eating out, and a trip to the movie theater, maybe it's time to challenge your family to a "No-Spend Weekend".

Some of our best no-spend weekends have been totally unplanned. I love it when Monday morning rolls around and I realize that (except for a trip to church on Sunday) the car hasn't moved and no money has left my wallet or bank account. It's surprising how easy this is to do without any planning at all. It seems we always have plenty of food in the pantry and the refrigerator. Sometimes it just takes a little creativity.

But what will you do? If you want to have a productive no-spend weekend, your activities might include home organizing projects, craft projects, trying out new recipes, or planning for the week ahead. Our favorite family togetherness activities include board games, cooking, and watching a movie. Check out the DVDs available from your local library.

Once you make the decision that you are having a no-spend weekend, all temptation to "run to the store" is gone. There will be no running to the grocery store to purchase one item that turns into spending half your grocery budget. There is no discussion regarding heading to the nearest drive-thru to pick up lunch. Make do with what you have and you will find that what you have is most certainly enough!

So this weekend, try staying out of the stores, eat at home and spend lots of time together. It will be good for your budget and it just may be the most relaxing weekend you've had in a long time.

For more great ideas, head on over to Frugal Friday and Works for Me Wednesday.

Cheerios $25 American Express Card Giveaway

We love Cheerios! So much so that when I received a box of Cheerios as part of the Cheerios "Do What You Love" Prize Pack, the box was ripped open immediately. Within minutes my daughter was happily devouring a bowl. The $25 American Express gift card that came along with the Cheerios was a great bonus.

What would you love to do with $25?

Read about the Cheerios contest and then continue reading for details about how you can win a "Do What You Love" prize pack.

Here's the scoop on the Cheerios contest:

Cheerios is partnering with country music superstar Martina McBride and professional athlete Cal Ripken, Jr. for the "Do What You Love" Contest. McBride and Ripken will recognize two lucky people with prizes that will make their hearts race. One music lover (and a guest) will tour the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum with McBride, hang out with her in her recording studio - the world famous Blackbird Studio in Nashville, Tenn. - and even get VIP tickets to one of her upcoming concerts.

Another lucky baseball enthusiast (and a guest) will have the chance to hang out and play catch with Ripken and to tour the Ripken Youth Baseball Academy in Aberdeen, Md., with the "Iron Man" of baseball himself. In addition, the winner will throw out the first pitch at the Cal Ripken World Series and sit in Ripken´s reserved seats at a Baltimore baseball game.

Now through July 23, 2010, you can submit your 150-250 word original story and photo, showcasing what they love to do. For a chance to win the experience of a lifetime with McBride and Ripken, visit http://www.cheerios.com/love today.

My Giveaway:

The wonderful people at My Blog Spark have sent me a prize pack with a box of Cheerios and a $25 American Express Gift Card so that I can do what I love! They have also agreed to send a prize pack to one of my lucky readers. To enter, just leave a comment letting me know what you would love to do with the $25 American Express Gift Card.

The contest is open to U.S. residents over the age of 18. The winner will be randomly chosen by Random.org and will be notified by email. The winner has 48 hours to respond via email to claim the prize. This contest ends at midnight July 22, 2010.

Good luck!

Great Dairy-Free Ice Cream at Last!

If you are searching for a yummy dairy-free ice cream you just have to try Purely Decadent ice cream made with coconut milk. This stuff is really good!

Made by Turtle Mountain, the ice cream comes in a variety of flavors. In our area we are able to get the vanilla bean and mint chip varieties. We love them both although the mint chip does contain soy which we try to avoid due to sensitivities. Go to the Turtle Mountain website to learn about the ingredients in each of their products.

The ice cream is sold by the pint and can be a little pricey if it's not on sale. To help with that, click here to print out a coupon for $1 off one Purely Decadent item.

Free E-books at Barnes & Noble

Check out this deal at Barnes & Noble.

Until Monday at midnight, you can download 21 e-book classics for free! Some of the selections are: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving, Federalist by Alexander Hamilton, Collection of Poems by Emily Dickinson, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain and Call of the Wild and White Fang by Jack London.

If you prefer hard copies of books, use this 20% coupon for any item on their website. The coupon code is Y9K7J7X.

Plus, Barnes & Noble has launched their Summer Warehouse Sale. Many of their books are marked down by 50-90%. I searched through their $1.99 deals, and found some terrific kids' titles.