Our Frugal Foodie Friday feature has traditionally showcased recipes. Though we will still continue to post low-cost recipes, it seemed only fitting to also offer tips and deals during these tough economic times. Last week, you may have viewed our Amazon Grocery Deals post (yes, you can get good food deals online!), but this week, we are going in-store with coupons.

With a little guidance from our friends at Navan Foods, I have put together a list of printable and printed coupons for natural food companies that have dairy-free offerings (several also have gluten-free, vegan, and / or food allergy-friendly products). Some of the coupons are right there, waiting for you to print them and carry them to your local store, while some will be mailed to you. Either way, coupons are a fantastic way to save your pennies ... and believe me, those pennies DO add up ...

As of January 2010 Foods Matter magazine will cease to exist – but all that currently goes into the magazine, and much, much more, will become freely available on the Foods Matter website at www.foodsmatter.com. Foods Matter Editor Michelle explains. ~ "Yes – after nearly 20 years of newsletters and magazines, Foods Matter is finally going to bite the bullet and move fully into the 21st century. We are going to be entirely web based! While many of you will see this as an exciting new move with massive potential and possibilities, I know that there will also be many of you who will mourn the passing of the magazine. So let me try to explain why we are doing it ...

I don't have a special logo to offer, and I haven't held a formal panel to taste test every last bar on the market ... but I have tasted quite a few bars (dozens in fact) and outgrown some brands as better options have come along ... so I thought I would share the ones I keep going back for again and again.

To be considered for Alisa's Completely Informal Energy Bar Awards (that would be me), said bars must be dairy-free (that is, made without milk in any whey (sorry bad pun), shape, or form - casein-free, lactose-free, etc.). They also needed to be affordable and easily accessible. I have tried some positively delicious bars, but their price tag classifies them as an occasional special dessert rather than a daily dose of energy. As a side note, I also lean toward soy-free bars, as you will see. With that in mind, the winners are ... Click to view fll post on One Frugal Foodie.

My first question when I received the news about Nasoya Silken Creations was, "What is it?" The response of a "dessert starter" left me even more befuddled, as I had never come across anything similar, dairy-free or not. But our adventurous, dessert-loving tester Sarena was more than enthusiastic to take it on (all three flavors, of course), and what she discovered was truly a revolutionary new product. She literally fell in love with the ease of using Silken Creations to create creamy, low-fat desserts. In fact, she even put its simplicity to the test by using the Strawberry Silken Creations as the only ingredient in homemade dairy-free ice cream. The delicious results exceeded her expectations ...

The food allergy and special diet community at large mourned when Allergy Grocer, a long time online retailer, closed its “doors.” Though this also meant a permanent loss of their popular Miss Roben’s product line, there are several wonderful small businesses picking up where Allergy Grocer left off in specialty food online sales. While purchasing perishables may not be as feasible over the Internet, snack foods, mixes, and ingredients make great online purchases, especially during the busy back-to-school and holiday season, when seeking out specialty items in stores might be a bit too time-consuming or even impossible in rural areas.

Here is a quick list of some wonderful online specialty retailers who offer top quality foods with special product coding for various diets (such as vegan / vegetarian, sugar-free, low-fat, kosher, etc.) and food allergy / sensitivity needs (gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free, etc.):