Q: My husband is going back to school in the fall and we have two young kids, so we've decided that we'll try switching our main family meal to breakfast rather than dinner to try and keep us connected. I know we can have family time over bowls of cereal, but it would be nice to make it a little more special as often as possible.

Weeknights can be tough dinner nights. Weeknights when you try to squeeze the gym in after work? Even tougher. 

The first few times I tried kimchi it was not, I must admit, my favorite food. Then I met my Korean-American partner, Gregory, moved in with his mom — a superb cook — and within a few months I was wholly converted. These days my mouth waters at the slightest whiff of pungent, fermented cabbage and I'll eat it with everything from fried rice to dumplings, summer rolls, or, ahem, straight out of the jar. I still have a lot to learn from Mom when it comes to kimchi making (there are over a hundred different kinds!) but this mak kimchi, or simple kimchi, recipe has been a great place to start. 

Don't get me wrong, I love a good green salad. But there is a whole world of quick, easy vegetable side dishes that don't involve lettuce. With recipes like sesame roasted snap peas, baked chili-spiked sweet potato chips and grilled cabbage with spicy lime dressing, you now have no excuse. Get out of that salad rut tonight!

As the weather warms up, turning on the oven to roast a pan of vegetables stops being an option, but that doesn't mean you have to spend the next five months eating green salads or steamed broccoli. Instead, look to your grill — or a stovetop grill pan — to quickly transform vegetables into soft, smoky, irresistibly summery versions of themselves. Carrots are one of my favorites on the grill, their charred, sweet flavor needing just a squeeze of lemon and some fresh herbs to become a simple but surprising side dish.

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). 

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? 

Q: I have a pregnant friend who is expecting within a few weeks and I'd like to make her some freezer meals as a gift. She has gestational diabetes, so my "go to" stuffed shells and baked ziti are out. What meals do you recommend for expecting parents that aren't full of carbs?

Sent by Rochelle

Chia seed puddings are all the rage these days, and for good reason. When stirred with water, juice, or milk, the seeds gel up and thicken, creating the most delightful tapioca-like texture. It's easy (no heat required!) and contains all the nutrition of chia seeds, which taste neutral enough that you can play with your favorite flavors. In my case, that means a sweet spring combo of strawberries, coconut, and lime. 

Item: Vitamix 32-Ounce Dry Grains Container
Price: $144.00
Overall Impression: Not essential but extremely useful

A Vitamix is a hefty (yet worthy!) investment and if you've taken the plunge, you might now be wondering whether you really need to spend more on an additional Dry Grains Container. How different is it from the Vitamix's Standard/Wet Blade Container? Here's what we found...