In honor of Veteran's Day, three restaurant chains are offering free meals to members of the military and veterans.

McCormick & Schmick's is having its 11th Annual Veterans Appreciation Event on Sunday, Nov. 8. Veterans can receive a free lunch or dinner entree when they show the proper ID. Space is limited and reservations are required.

You can get a free individual pizza or entree at Uno Chicago Grill on Monday, Nov. 11. The offer is good with a purchase of equal or greater value. Just wear a uniform, bring a picture of you in uniform, or show a military or veteran's ID to qualify.

Golden Corral is offering a free "Thank You" dinner on Monday, Nov. 16, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at all restaurants. Anyone who has ever served in the U.S. military can receive a free meal, and no identification is required.

Here are this week's Five Fabulous Finds from Coupon Cravings, including free calendars, mascara and nearly free Rice Krispies Treats. Plus, get scarves for just a buck at Old Navy and a coupon to save $5 when you spend $5 at Kohl's.

1) It's gift card giving season. Stop by Chick-fil-A and get a free 2010 calendar with loads of free food coupons, like free chicken strips, milkshakes and soft drinks, when you buy a $20 gift card.

2) Hit Walgreens by Saturday (November 7) to get two free tubes of mascara. Or stop by Safeway to get Rice Krispies Treats for just $.17 a box. Yummy!

3) Sign up to get sale alerts from Kohl's and get a coupon by email to save $5 when you spend $5 in-store.

4) In case you missed out on $2 Halloween costumes at Old Navy last weekend, be sure to stop by Old Navy on Saturday (November 7) to get performance fleece scarves for just $1.

5) Want more freebies? Get free samples of Kirkland Signature Supreme Diapers and Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Daily Eye Cream. You can even get a free Sun-Rype FruitSource Bar from GNC.

About 15 bridal salons around the U.S. are offering free wedding gowns to military brides next week through the Brides Across America event.

The gowns are being given away on a first come, first serve basis and are valued at between $500 to $3,000. Most are samples or overstocks between sizes 4 to 22, but selections vary from salon to salon.

To qualify for the giveaway you must be engaged, on active duty in the military, and have been deployed or will be deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq. You also qualify if your fiance is on active military duty in those countries. If you've already been married by a justice of the peace but are planning an upcoming wedding, you may still qualify for a free gown.

When you visit the bridal salon you'll need to show an ID, copy of deployment papers for you or your finance, orders or other qualifying proof.

Each salon has a limited number of dresses to give away, so get there early or you'll be put on a waiting list for future events.

The dates and times vary, so check the Brides Across America site to find a location near you.

Here are some serious stocking stuffers -- if you can get them: Always wanted to spend a Christmas in Washington D.C.? Your dream might come true, especially if you can score some free tickets to the 2009 National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony.

Free tickets for this event will be distributed via lottery system for the first time this year. The lottery system opened just after midnight on Wednesday November 4 and will remain open until 11:59 p.m. EST on Friday, November 6.

The National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will be held Thursday, Dec. 3, 2009 at 5 p.m.

To participate, visit the event's website here, or call (877) 444-6777. The ticket lottery will include 2,800 ticketed seats and an additional 7,000 standing room tickets, which significantly increases capacity, and your likelihood of getting in on the event.

You'll be notified by email or U.S. mail (if you entered the lottery by phone) if you're a lucky ticket-holder. Tickets will be mailed by November 15.

What are you waiting for? Enter and get yourself in the holiday spirit.

For the vampire lover in your life, today (Wed., Nov. 4) is the last day to sign up to receive your free signed Anne Rice bookplate.

If your blood is already rushing to your ears, then you know all about the author who started the current vampire lust 30 years ago with her seminal Interview with a Vampire. Rice is like the J.K. Rowling of the Vampire genre.

Follow the instructions on her website and sign up for the Anne Rice mailing list. Do as you're told, and maybe they won't run out of these gothic-looking bookplates before you claim yours.

One thing you should never do is run a Windows computer without some form of virus protection. In the past, in order to get any decent virus protection, you had to spend big bucks on security suites like Norton and McAfee; but now AVG Free protects you against the viruses and spyware for free.

AVG has been in the virus protection business since 1991 and the free version of its AVG Anti-Virus program have been widely used by myself and many other users for many years as a free alternative to high priced year-by-year antivirus subscriptions.

Another added bonus of the free AVG Antivirus software is that the program uses relatively few systems resources so it won't slow down your computer.

The free version of AVG Antivirus works on the newly released Windows 7 and offers the following protection.

• Anti-Virus - Makes sure you can't get or spread a virus, worm, or Trojan horse.
• Anti-Spyware - Prevents unauthorized information access by spyware and adware.
• LinkScanner - Ensures every web page you visit is safe – even before you go there.

In addition to the free version of AVG Antivirus, the company offers two paid versions of the AVG Antivirus software with additional protection against downloaded files and identity theft.

The Sun Explosion Astronomy Club is giving free telescope keychains. All you have to do is fill out a short online form. No fee is required.

The free keychain is limited to one per household. Stock is limited and will only be available while supplies last.

You'd think any fast-food chain would have taken a lesson from KFC and the Great Free Chicken Fiasco of 2009 and avoid offering customers an outrageous deal via the Internet, where word of just about anything -- good or bad -- can spread faster than greased lightning.

Nevertheless, Boston Market stepped into similar pile of fowl doo-doo last week when it offered its loyal customers a coupon for a $1 chicken entree via its Web site. While not free, it was still one hen of a deal. For $1, diners got a choice of a quarter white or 3-piece dark chicken dinner, along with mashed potatoes and cornbread. Vegetables weren't part of the deal.

If you're looking for some free food on Halloween night between trick-or-treating stops for candy, then head over to your local Taco Bell.

Taco Bell is giving away free Black Jack Tacos on Saturday, Oct. 31, from 6 p.m. to midnight.

The tacos are a crunchy black shell with beef, zesty pepper jack sauce, lettuce and a blend of cheeses inside.

Here are this week's Five Fabulous Finds from Coupon Cravings, including free tacos, burritos and frozen yogurt on Halloween. Plus, get free pumpkin stencils and carving guides, as well as extra-cheap ambiance music, costumes and coupon booklets.

1) Stop by Taco Bell between 6 p.m. and midnight on Halloween for a free Black Jack Taco. Or, dress up as a burrito and head to Chipotle between 6 p.m. and close on October 31 for a free Burrito. You can also get a free 12 oz Frozen Yogurt at Menchie's when you wear a Menchie's swirl top hat on Friday or Saturday (October 30-31).

2) Send in candy wrappers from trick-or-treating and get a coupon by mail for a free YoCrunch from Breyers.

3) Get free pumpkin stencils, jack-o-lantern carving guides and coloring pages. Or, download more than an hour of Halloween ambiance sounds for just $.99.

4) Need a last-minute Halloween costume? Stop by Old Navy on Friday or Saturday (October 30-31). All Halloween costumes and apparel will be just $2. Then pop by Sears with your child in costume to get a free Mattel toy.

5) For just $1, get free food Halloween coupon booklets from Burger King (free fries), McDonald's (free ice cream cones, hamburgers, apple dippers and milk), Wendy's (free jr. frosties) and Friendly's (free kids cones).

What do you want for the holidays? Get your own free copy of Sears Wish Book by filling out this online form. Get a head start on your Holiday shopping list today!

But you'll have to be patient. Allow two to three weeks for delivery to you doorstep.

Looking for an early Halloween "treat"? Chocolatiers think you deserve one. In celebration of National Chocolate Day confectioners are giving away their delicious sweet treats. Willy Wonka would be so pleased.

Here's how to get your free bite today:

• The Village Fudge & Candy Shoppe in Concord, N.C. is offering customers a Buy One Get One free on all chocolates.All Wrapped Up by Village Fudge in the Concord Mills Mall, Concord, N.C. is also joining in on the giveaway fun.
• If every day is National Chocolate Day in your house, join the Godiva Chocolate Rewards Club. One of the perks: One free piece of chocolate each month.
• Can't make it to the candy store? Try your luck winning free chocolate. Asher's Chocolates gives away free chocolates once a month to one random participant of their online chocolate survey.

Experts caution this American "holiday" could backfire. "We have to remember that everything should be eaten in moderation," says women's health expert, Dr. Marie Savard. So if you choose to celebrate today, don't over-indulge your sweet tooth.

Sound off. What's your preference milk or dark chocolate? Why?

Boo!

Did we scare you? Did we at least get your attention? Good, because Halloween is this Saturday, and if you're planning on making any horrible things in the kitchen for your dark brood, you'd better get planning. This freebie should help.

Download this free eBook featuring 15 recipes for Halloween from Recipelion.com and get cooking.

Thirsty? Me too. But juice is expensive these days.

But here's a Fantastic Freebie deal to slake your thirst: Answer this short online survey and get a coupon for one free 64-ounce-bottle of Old Orchard Healthy Balance fruit Juice.

Healthy Balance is Old Orchard's line of low-sugar, low calorie fruit juice, with 75% less sugar and carbs than traditional fruit cocktails.

Try some today. You can't afford not to.

Hurry! Like a little bunny ... or a little chicken. Get one free piece of chicken from KFC - today only. Just in time for dinner. Or lunch, if you're on the West Coast.

But before dashing out, call ahead first and make sure your local KFC is participating.