This month we’re looking back on all the strange and wonderful food jobs people have held during the summer. Whether it’s a job at a local scoop shop, a grocery store, or the concession stand at a baseball field, the skills and memories you gather in those short, hot months usually turn out to be invaluable. Here’s Bex vanKoot on her summer running her own business at a baseball field.

The summer of 1998 was one of many firsts for me. I was finishing up my first year of high school, preparing to take my beginner’s driving test, dating my first boyfriend, planning my as-yet-only trip overseas, and working my first real job at a baseball park snack stand (babysitting doesn’t count, right?). I would spend that summer learning the ins and outs of running my own business, a first that I can say now, almost 20 years later, led directly to the last decade I have spent freelancing and traveling the world.

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I have two personas when it comes to food shopping: my grocery store persona and my farmers market persona. The former, without fail, hits the store with a carefully curated shopping list arranged by the layout of the aisles; the latter arrives without a shopping list or a plan at all (I prefer to just see what’s in season and grab the produce and herbs that catch my eye).

They key to making this approach work and easily turn my farmers market haul into dinner is knowing a few simple and versatile types of meals that can be made with anything I bring home. Instead of trying to find a specific recipe that matches exactly what I buy, I begin with a dinner template. From a veggie-packed frittata to a summery pizza, these five meals show how to turn a trip to the farmers market into dinner.

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Coca-Cola announced a major change in its product lineup on Wednesday. It’s no-calorie drink, Coke Zero, will be swapped out with a new beverage — featuring a new recipe, new design, and new name — called Coca-Cola Zero Sugar. The drink will make its debut next month. According to the company, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar is the “new and improved Coke Zero.”

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It’s a mistake that could happen to anyone — anyone who can’t read or is not paying attention while shopping in the produce aisle. A man purchased what he believed to be cubed cheese only to find he bought diced butternut squash. His frustration upon finding squash instead of cheese is a universal sentiment that can be felt by cheese-lovers around the world.

The shopper took his fight to the supermarket to get his return. Witnessing the quest is bystander James Dator, who chronicled the event on Twitter, only for it to go viral.

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When you live in the same household as someone, it’s a not a surprise that you would all eat similarly. Unless someone is making specific meals for every individual — which would be too much work — everyone is going to be eating that pizza, or salad, or whatever you’re having for meals. So it’s generally accepted that children eat how their parents do. But a new study found that managing a child’s diet can also impact the parent’s.

Specifically, parents who actively monitor their children’s food eat better foods than caregivers who don’t manage the diets of their children. The longitudinal study, called the Special Turku Coronary Risk Factor Intervention Project, took place over the course of two decades in two parts.

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Before you purchase your next papaya, take a quick peek at its label to ensure you aren’t at risk of contracting a salmonella infection. A specific variety of the fruit — Maradol papayas, of the Caribeña brand — has been linked to a salmonella outbreak in 12 states. Nationwide, the outbreak has left 47 ill: 12 cases were so severe the patients were hospitalized, and one case in New York City was fatal.

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There are two types of people in this world: those who ambivalently take or leave avocados and those whose heart skip a beat for the cool, creaminess of a ripe avocado. These recipes are for the latter group. Avocado toast is just the beginning, friends. From a vibrant green lassi and creamy avocado pasta, to fritters and an extra-chocolatey pudding, here are 10 irresistible ways to eat more avocados from breakfast through dessert.

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(Image credit: Guy Ambrosino)

When you’re home from the farmers market with a fresh haul of summer produce and craving a comforting dinner, pull out your Dutch oven and some arborio rice, because risotto is in order. Start with whatever veggies and herbs you picked up and before long you’ll be stirring them into a pot of creamy rice bathed in a light and creamy white wine sauce. This veggie-filled risotto template is perfect for simple weeknight dinners or as a fast and fancy meal when hosting friends.

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This past weekend, I knew I needed to get out of town. My dog, Charlie, was acting like a Hoover, eating every piece of trash in his path; my apartment was basically sweating due to the 95-and-humid-as-a-Russian-bath-house temperatures; and the combination was putting me in the foulest of moods.

This mindset was not improved during my drive to Livingston Manor, a charming little town in Sullivan County, New York. Under normal circumstances, it takes somewhere between two and three hours to reach this part of the Catskills; that day, it took me as long to get out of the city and again as long to navigate my way to my destination. Many expletives were uttered en route.

When I arrived at The DeBruce, I was hungry, tired, and desperately in need of a drink.

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From Apartment Therapy → Here’s What’s New on Netflix In August

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