Recipes, Printable Coupons | $5 Dinners™ — Feeding the Family for $5 or Less

Gluten Free, No Bake Energy Bites

by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom on February 1, 2013

GF No Bake Energy Bites Gluten Free, No Bake Energy Bites

So. I’m on maternity leave.

But I have a problem. I really can’t sit still. We’ve been so blessed with oodles of help and gobs of food. Which has allowed me extra time to “sit still.” But, I just don’t sit still well. Despite my best efforts.

At least 12 times a day, I have to sit still. I’m nursing Austin, and boy does he like to nurse. He’s a little champion at it…regaining his birth weight at day 7…and who knows where we are now with his weight. (I’m tempted daily to bop in to the pediatrician’s office, just to see.) But I have to sit still…for a bit while he nurses. Minutes pass, hours pass…but during this “sit still” time, I still need something to do. While nursing Ryan back in the day, I turned to Alias. (Remember that TV show with Jennifer Garner…I so wanted to be a spy!) I watched all the seasons that were out on DVD at the time. With Charlie, it was catching up on 24. With Tyler, I worked right through…not taking much of a break.

And now with Austin, there’s Vine.

Have you heard of Vine?

It’s a brand new video app extension of Twitter, that allows you to shoot 6 second videos, and stop motion videos too. (These are my favorite.) I believe it’s currently available only for the iPhone. (http://www.vine.co/ for more information.)

So while I sit on the couch with my little buddy, I have discovered and fallen for Vine. (Here is Tyler helping me make dinner on Wednesday afternoon. Direct Twitter link.)

Well, and there’s Pinterest too.

I’ve been meaning to make the energy balls that float around all over Pinterest. And I finally got around to making them for an afternoon snack this week…and of course, I couldn’t help but “vine it”…the “how-to” and the “I think the boys are in love with these…watch” videos.

vine.co/v/b1Z03OQl19J - click on this “vine branch” to see what happened to yesterday’s batch of Gluten Free Energy Bites. Gone in seconds.
vine.co/v/bJVeArbYzpz - and this one is the 6 second “How to Make Energy Bites” video from Vine… See, isn’t that easy?!

So back to the energy balls…I used up all the oats I had in the house for the first batch that I made on Wednesday. So when I went to make them yesterday, I needed an alternative.

Gluten Free Rice Krispies….perfect! I dumped them into the bowl first, “broke them down” slightly by crushing them with my hand and then finished mixing up the energy bites.

Hope you enjoy these as much as we did/do!

(Really, I have been enjoying the slower pace of maternity leave and all the cuddles with baby, and even the big boys!)

Gluten Free, No-Bake Energy Bites

Adapted from Food Doodles

Yield – about 20 energy bites

Preparation Time – 10 minutes

Chill Time – 1 hour

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups gluten free rice krispies (or you can use regular quick cooking or GF quick cooking oats too)

2/3 cup peanut butter (any nut butter will do)

1/3 cup honey

1 cup shredded coconut flakes

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

about 3/4-1 cup mini chocolate chips

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Directions

(See the 6 second how-to.)

Add the rice krispies (or oats) to a bowl, crush lightly with your hand or potato masher.

Add the peanut butter, honey, coconut flakes and cinnamon and stir together.

Then add the chocolate chips.

Chill in the fridge for about an hour. Then form into balls.

Serve and watch them disappear!

(Now, back to my regularly scheduled “maternity leave.”)

Oh, and…if you do decide to join Vine, search for me…”5dollardinners”…”see you” out on the Vine!

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Drugstore Coupon Matchups & Best Deals – Week of May 19

by Jenn K on May 18, 2013

Every week I’ll be posting the best deals and coupon match-ups for all products at the different national drug stores. Here are a few highlights, and links to the complete list of deals.

{View the Complete CVS Coupon Match-up}

{View the Complete Walgreens Coupon Match-up}

{View the Complete Rite Aid Coupon Match-up}

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 the $5 Dinners Coupon Match-Ups page for a complete list of the all coupon matchups. .

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How to Season Hamburger Patties

by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom on May 17, 2013

So I might be the last one on the planet to do it this way…

In the past, I’ve seasoned hamburger patties on the grill…while they were grilling. And while it works, it wasn’t going to work for me last weekend when we were having a bunch of family over for dinner. I wanted to prep as much as I could ahead of time so that I could enjoy them while they were at our house, instead of running around my kitchen like a chicken without a head (sorry, bad visual!)…so this is what happened.

As I was getting everything out, I thought, “Why not season the bottom of the cookie sheet first so that both sides of the patties can be seasoned before they hit the grill?”

So that’s what I did. Sprinkle seasoning on the cookie sheet. Make patties and then put them on top of the seasoning and move around a little to “catch it all” and waste as little as possible. Sprinkle more on top and voila.

Ready for the grill. (Or refrigerator, in my case…as I was making them up early in the afternoon long before everyone arrived. This is what happens when there is a baby in the house…you get stuff done while they are sleeping, even if that means making dinner at 2 pm!)

And while I didn’t get all scientific about it, it seemed to me that the seasoning stuck to the burgers better and less fell through into the grill!

How about you? How do you season hamburger patties?

8 comments

Sunday Coupon Preview – May 19

by Jenn K on May 17, 2013

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

There is scheduled to be 2 Smart Source and 1 Red Plum in this weekend’s paper.

$1/1 Activia, 4 pk 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 07/13/2013)
$1/1 Alouette, cheese portions 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 07/13/2013)
$0.55/1 Alouette, crumbled cheese 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 07/13/2013)
$1/1 Alouette, spreadable cheese 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 07/13/2013)
$0.55/1 Apple & Eve Sesame Street Juice Beverage 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 06/29/2013)
$0.55/2 Barilla Pasta 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 07/13/2013)
$1/1 Best Foods, 22 oz+ 05/19/2013 RP Insert (exp 06/16/2013)
$1/1 Breyers Ice Cream Toppings 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 07/14/2013)
$1/1 Chavrie, goat cheese 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 07/31/2013)
$1/1 Chock full o’Nuts 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 06/30/2013)
$1/1 Crystal Light liquid drink mix 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 06/30/2013)
$1/2 Dole Juice, canned, 46 oz or 6 oz, 6 pks 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 07/31/2013)
$0.75/2 Dole Mandarin Oranges, canned 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 07/31/2013)
$0.25/1 Finish Quantum, Powerball Tabs, or Gelpacs, 20 ct+ 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 06/16/2013)
$0.25/1 Folgers 05/19/2013 RP Insert (exp 06/23/2013)
$1/1 Foster Farms, oven ready chicken breast 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 08/28/2013)
$1/1 Heinz 57 Sauce, 10 oz+ 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 07/28/2013)
$0.25/1 Heinz Ketchup 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 06/16/2013)
$0.30/1 Heinz, homestyle beans 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 06/16/2013)
$1/2 Heluva Good! Sour Cream dips or cheese 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 07/21/2013)
$1/1 Hidden Valley Farmhouse Original Dressing 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 08/19/2013)
$1/1 Hormel Always Tender 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 07/15/2013)
$1/2 Hormel Chili 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 07/15/2013)
$1/1 Hormel Natural Choice Deli Sandwich Meat or Chicken Strips 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 07/15/2013)
$1/2 Hormel Pepperoni 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 07/15/2013)
$1/2 Hormel premium Chicken Breast 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 07/15/2013)
$0.30/1 I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter or Country Crock, excludes Country Crock pumpkin spice, cinnamon or honey flavored spreads 05/19/2013 RP Insert (exp 06/16/2013)
$2/1 Johnsonville Grillers 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 06/30/2013)
$1/2 Jolly Time microwave pop corn, boxes 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 06/30/2013)
$1/2 La Victoria, 12oz+ 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 07/28/2013)
$1/1 La Victoria, tortillas 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 07/28/2013)
$0.55/1 Land O’Frost Bistro Favorites, Premium, DeliShaved, or Canadian Bacon 05/19/2013 RP Insert (exp 06/19/2013)
$1/1 Lea & Perrins, 10 oz+ 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 07/28/2013)
$1/1 Lea & Perrins, marinade in-a-bag product 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 07/28/2013)
$0.40/1 Lipton tea bags, tea & honey to-go or pitcher size or any iced tea mix 05/19/2013 RP Insert (exp 06/16/2013)
$0.55/1 Morton, kosher salt, coarse, or fine sea salt, excludes 4.4 oz fine sea salt 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 07/14/2013)
$0.55/2 Morton, plain or iodized salt, 26 oz AND salt & pepper shakers 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 07/14/2013)
$1/3 Nabisco, cookie or cracker products, 6.5 oz+ 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 07/14/2013)
$0.75/1 Nalley Pickles, 16 oz+ 05/19/2013 RP Insert (exp 06/23/2013)
$1/1 Nescafe Taster’s Choice, coffee canister, 7 oz+ 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 07/14/2013)
$1/1 Ore-Ida Grillers 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 06/16/2013)
$0.50/1 Palmolive, dish liquid, 14 oz+ 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 06/08/2013)
$1/2 Pillsbury refrigerated baked goods 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 07/13/2013)
$1/1 Planters NUT-rition substaining energy mix, multi-pack 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 07/31/2013)
$0.75/1 Post Sesame Street Cereal 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 06/29/2013)
$0.75/1 Reynolds Wrap Foil, 35 sq ft, excludes wrappers 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 07/31/2013)
$0.50/2 Sargento Natural Slices 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 06/30/2013)
$1/2 Scotch-Brite Scouring products 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 07/31/2013)
$1/2 Scotch-Brite, dishwands or dishwand refill 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 06/30/2013)
$0.55/1 Seagram’s Ginger Ale, 12 pk, 12 oz cans or 8 pk, 7.5 oz cans 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 08/24/2013)
$0.60/1 Silk Iced Latte 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 06/20/2013)
$1.50/1 Snapple K-Cups, box of Brew Over Ice, 12 ct 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 06/19/2013)
$1/2 Snyder’s, flavored pieces or pretzel sandwiches, 8 oz+ 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 07/31/2013)
$1/1 Star Olive Oil, 16 oz+ 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 08/31/2013)
$1/1 Sunlight Dish Detergent 05/19/2013 RP Insert (exp 06/30/2013)
$1/1 Sunsweet dried fruit 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 08/30/2014)
$1/2 Sweet Baby Rays Barbecue Sauce 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 06/30/2013)
$0.50/1 Swiss Premium, tea or lemonade, gallon 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 06/30/2013)
$0.50/1 Tetley Tea Box 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 06/30/2013)
$0.75/1 Vlasic, regular or Farmer’s Garden, pickle variety 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 07/31/2013)
$0.75/1 Welch’s 100% Juice Bottle or multi-pack 05/19/2013 RP Insert (exp 08/31/2013)
$0.50/1 Wish-Bone / Western Dressing 05/19/2013 RP Insert (exp 06/16/2013)
$0.50/1 Wonderful Almonds, 6.3 oz+ 05/19/2013 SS Insert (exp 07/19/2013)
$0.50/1 Wonderful Pistachios, 5 oz+ 05/19/2013 RP Insert (exp 07/19/2013)

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!

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