Happy Independence Day! The Savings.com crew is out of the office and off celebrating our freedom from work oppressive laws and countries, but I had to take a minute to show you my favorite DealPro posts of the week. The first part is full of recipes and cooking tips, while the second half has overall saving tips.

Recipe: Summer Berry Ice Box Cake With mid-summer temperatures at a high, it's hard to think about turning the oven on and baking a cake. When you're jonesing for something sweet or need to throw together a quick dessert for a cookout, look no further. With strawberries, blueberries and a graham cracker crust, this cool treat is sure to be a hit.

Summer Sandwich Series DealPro Sarah is putting her new Panini press to use and coming up with a bevy of sandwich ideas. If you think a grilled cheese is boring, you just need a little imagination. This may not be included on Sarah's list, my favorite version involves cranberry-walnut bread, sharp cheddar, havarti, spinach and honey mustard. If you don't think that sounds amazing, I just don't even know what to say.

Recipe: BLT Dip What's left to say? It's a BLT in a tasty dip form. Grab some pita chips and turn the music up, it's officially time to party.


Summer Cooking: How To Make Hobo Dinners What does aluminum foil, lots of veggies, hamburger meat, and a raging fire set the perfect scene for? If you answered "Hobo Dinners", congratulations! I'm quite impressed by your deductive reasoning skills. Bonus points if you actually know what a Hobo Dinner is. Start the campfire and have your kids wash the vegetables, this meal doesn't take long to assemble, but it needs to sit over the fire for a little longer.

Recipe: Crockpot Barbecue With Vinegar Slaw Crock pots are truly amazing. Throw in your ingrediants, flip the switch, go about your day, and come back hours later to a delicious meal. This combination of barbecue and slaw is perfect for a cookout.

Recipe: Blueberry Coffeecake Muffins Anything that combines fruit and coffee is... okay, scratch that. Putting fruit in coffee sounds like a terrible idea. Don't even get me started on Frappucinos. Coffeecake with fruit, on the other hand, sounds delish.

Recipe: Shrimp Tacos with Mango-Avocado Salsa I'm a huge fan of any recipe that combines fish with tacos, and the avocado is the proverbial icing on the cake.

Wanted to skip the recipes? This next section's for you...

Save On TV with Cable Alternatives Step away from the HBO upgrade. Yes, I'm obsessed with Lena Dunham and Girls as much as everyone else, but does that mean I need to be spending $75+ a month to watch it? Hardly. Before you sign off on that year long contract with Time Warner, consult this list to see if you can save money.

E-mail Scam Offers Free Plane Tickets Our favorite reporter (and DealPro) Valerie is bringing you the latest in scam alerts. Southwest Airlines has long been the target of spammy emails that try to lure unsuspecting people into entering for a "Free Ticket"! As you've likely heard, there's no such thing as a free lunch, and this is no exception. A similar post on Facebook has also been floating around in the past months. Be smart- check the full email address the message is sent from and the Facebook page it was copied from.

Homemade Bug Repellent If you're planning a trip to the Amazon, you may need to hit up Target and invest in a bug spray that's a little more sturdy, but if you just need something basic, then DIY! Bug repellents are notorious for being chock-full of harmful chemicals, so if you can avoid using them, it's much better.

Why Do You Use Coupons? While the quick and easy answer is "to save money", there are lots of reasons to use coupons. This post gives you a quick overview of the reasons beyond the surface.

Throwing A Princess Party On A Budget If you've ever planned a birthday party, you know that costs can add up all too quickly. A few party hats and a pinata here, ordering a birthday cake... by the time you get to the decorations, you may already be over budget! If your kid is begging you for a Princess party, you'll want to check out the tips Lauren has to save money and still throw a great event.