I am a huge fan of the slow cooker. It's not for everyone, but for me, I love being able to assemble a slow-cooker meal in the morning (when I have time) and know that it will be hot and delicious by dinner (when time is in short commodity). I've gotten pretty good at spotting recipes with slow-cooker potential over the years. Here's my best advice.

Mixing up the breakfast routine with a favorite smoothie can be a truly satisfying and nourishing way to begin the day. But like anything, ruts can happen easily and the time may come when you find yourself reaching for the same bag of frozen berries and soy milk. Day after day after day. Here are a few ways to break through the boredom and amp up your smoothies with flavor (and nutrition). 

Q: I bought a rather expensive hunk of cotija cheese for our Cinco de Mayo tacos. What else can I do with it besides add to salads?

Sent by Diane

When we put out a call for your most-requested topics for Reader Request Week, there was one thing that bubbled to the top over and over again: Low-sugar and diabetic-friendly cooking. But we realized that many of you reading the site probably have more practical experience than we do in cooking for diabetics. What have been the most important things you've learned about cooking low-sugar foods? 

Is there anything better than a care package?! Opening that box to see little packages of cookies and a handwritten note is like getting hugged by a rainbow. This new book The Flying Brownie by Shirley Fan is full of delicious ideas that are guaranteed to ship well — whether you're sending a batch of brownies to a niece away at college or to a loved one in the military serving overseas.

Welcome to Reader Request Week! This week we're devoting every single post, in one way or another, to topics specifically requested by our readers. We're pulling our post topics from our readers' requests here; we'll do as much as we can with them, including pulling up some posts from our archives that have already answered questions you're asking now.

So, welcome to Reader Request Week — thanks for playing along! 

 Rubén's Paella-Making Spanish Kitchen Kitchen Tour 

It's Friday, and it's spring! What's cooking? I'm thinking that it may be time to break out the pizza dough and the grill. What about you? Are you going to the farmers' market, or planning out your meals for next week? What's inspiring you in the kitchen right now, and what do you have on the front burner? Tell us! We're getting ready for Reader Request Week and we love your inspiration! 

It's always fascinating to see what stirs up the most vehement comments on our family of sites. And over at Apartment Therapy, there is one sure way to start a spat: Talk about organizing books by color! And yet I think that it actually can be a great option, especially for cookbooks! Why is it so controversial, and why do I like it in spite of this? Read on for more, plus a really awesome picture of cookbooks organized by color...

Q: What are the best dairy substitutes for savory recipes? As in cheese- or cream-based dishes? I've read about replacing milk with almond milk or coconut milk for baking and sweet foods, but they sound like they would be too sweet for a pasta sauce or casseroles. 

What was happening this time last year? Glad you asked! We had cocktails of both the fresh spring variety and of the non-alcoholic sort. We had cornmeal-lime cookies to nibble and guacamole to make. We had a cute puppy to love and a very good reason to make a huge pot of rice. Want to hear more? Here you go!