I admit that my love for Trader Joe’s is a passionate affair. Their products have made themselves at home in my pantry, fridge, freezer, and desk drawer.

But let’s be honest — what we all love most about Trader Joe’s are the snacks. As I prepare for a summer of road trips, TJ’s is riding shotgun. Here are 10 of the snacks I’m taking along for the ride.

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(Image credit: Kelli Foster)

Here’s the drink I’ll be sipping on all summer long: Thai iced tea! I used to reserve this refreshing drink for combatting the heat when I ordered spicy curries at Thai restaurants, but not anymore. I recently discovered that making your own Thai iced tea is surprisingly easy.

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The free breakfast buffet is one of the purest pleasures of the hotel experience. This is not necessarily because it is unusually good, in any common definition of the word. While there are exceptions — I have experienced exceptions! — the breakfast buffet at a mid-range hotel is almost certainly some degree of mediocre. The bagels will not be the best possible bagels; the fruit is unlikely to be the best possible fruit. The scrambled eggs have probably been slowly coagulating in a trough on the steam table for at least half an hour.

However, these are not bugs, but features. Hotel breakfast is magical not in spite of its mediocrity, but because of it. It is the glorious flavor of vacation. And here’s how you can make it all even better.

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Bad habits are hard to break, but maybe that’s because we’re thinking about them all wrong. What if it’s less about breaking a bad habit and more about making space for something better? Here are five ideas for small, simple changes you can make to help you feel better about yourself and your kitchen this summer.

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(Image credit: Diana Yen)

You might not think “summer” and “stew” belong in the same sentence, but stewing and braising aren’t winter-exclusive cooking methods. The colorful spectrum of summer vegetables can be slow-cooked until meltingly tender and sweet — and it’s quite easy to do with the help of a slow cooker. Ratatouille, the classic French vegetable stew, is a perfect candidate for this hands-off cooking method.

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(Image credit: Linda Xiao)

Don’t think pineapple is the only fruit that gets to have all the fun when it comes to upside-down cakes. Here, a sparkling combination of inky sweet blackberries and tender nectarines gives a classic yellow cake a jewel-toned finish. If you’re due to bring a summery dessert to an office party or barbecue, you’ll want to save this recipe for just that.

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We’re in prime picnic and backyard barbecue season, with the biggest day of them all — the 4th of July — right around the corner. This time of year wouldn’t be complete without one of my favorite side dishes: potato salad. Chunks of well-seasoned, fork-tender potatoes tossed with some crunchy veggies and a touch of mayo or perhaps a nice vinaigrette — it’s a summertime staple.

No matter what your favorite potato salad style is, be sure to avoid these five common mistakes when making your next batch.

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