So maybe you're one of those busy people who hasn't fully embraced the idea of crockpot cooking? Maybe you need just a little more information to convince you to use a crockpot. How's this for encouragement: Dinner. Is. Ready. When. You. Get. Home. From. Work. What could be better!

On Sunday I wrote about how brown rice has been added to the list of whole grains and urged BlogHer readers to eat more brown rice. Today I'm back with another idea featuring brown rice. Brown rice tortillas are a lower-glycemic index alternative to corn or flour tortillas, as well as being a perfect idea for anyone who needs to avoid gluten in their diet.

It wasn't exactly front page news, but earlier this year the FDA officially added brown rice to the list of foods that can be labeled whole grains. Previously rules about fiber content had kept brown rice from making the list. Of course you may be scratching your head if you already considered brown rice to be a whole grain, but this new ruling makes it crystal clear that eating brown rice is a very good thing.

On Tuesday BlogHer co-founded and dedicated vegan Elisa Camahort shared her thoughts on World Vegetarian Day, including reasons she became a vegetarian. I'm not a vegetarian, but I eat vegetarian meals more than half the time, so I was interested to see how my favorite vegetarian food blogs might mark the day on Wednesday.

For gardeners in the northern hemisphere, the nights are getting colder and it's time to think about preserving the harvest. I hope I might have inspired a few people to start growing their own herbs with my series of posts on Cooking with Fresh Herbs. If you do have herbs in your garden that you'd like to use in the winter, now is the time to think about drying or freezing them.