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Chicago Loves Panini

Going panini and beyond in the Windy City - and loving it!

Products

Summer product roundup (2026 edition)

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‘Tis the season for sunny getaways and exciting product roundups 🙂

Here you have my recommendations for this summer, all products tested by me and found to be excellent to enjoy at home and to take on picnics, road trips and/or extended family vacations.

Have you tried any of these products, and do you have a favorite? Let me know in the comments 🙂

  • Divina On The Go olives
You know I am a big fan of Divina products, which I featured on this blog and on my Instagram channel on several occasions, most recently last summer. This season, Divina has launched a range of delightfully portable Divina On The Go olives.
 
Divina crafts delicious food with trustworthy ingredients, grown with care and respect for the planet. They partner with family-owned, sustainable farms, as well as with organizations working to educate and nourish underserved communities. With a wide variety of products that are organic, non-GMO, and kosher, Divina is a symbol of excellence in the field of Mediterranean specialties.
 
 
Here’s a selection of the savory Divina-inspired foods we took with us on our recent trip to Dearborn, Michigan:
  1. Pasta salad with Divina Muffuletta Olive Salad, topped with Divina On The Go Kalamata olives
  2. Green olive & pistachio sauce made with Divina Organic Castelvetrano Olives (recipe credit for the sauce: Bon Appétit)
  3. Greek salad topped with Divina On The Go Orange & Chili olives 

      4. Lots of flavor-loaded, convenient, and perfect for sharing Divina On The Go pouches!

  • Zoku slushie & shake maker

Cheers to The Summer of Slush! 🙂 As frozen drinks surge across social media and kitchen counters this summer, Zoku offers a fun, affordable way to create slushies and milkshakes at home in minutes. Zoku Slush & Shake Maker is a compact frozen treat maker that transforms everyday beverages into personalized slushies and milkshakes quickly and conveniently, without the cost or countertop space required by larger frozen drink appliances.

Unlike traditional slush machines that create one large batch at a time, the Zoku Slush & Shake Maker allows each family member to customize their own frozen drink using their favorite beverages, including soda, juice, coffee, chocolate milk, protein drinks, mocktails, and more. Users simply freeze the inner core, pour in a chilled beverage, stir, and watch it freeze into slush within minutes.


Why I love the Zoku Slush & Shake Maker:
• No bulky appliance footprint
• No complicated setup
• No ice blending required
• Reusable, easy-clean design
• Works with juices, soda, coffee drinks, chocolate milk, protein drinks, mocktails, and more!

I used the Zoku Slush & Shake Maker to make a variety of drinks, including frozen horchata (more info coming soon 🙂 ) and I thoroughly enjoyed the fast experience and the delicious results.

  • Mother Root

I’ll have what the Dragons are having 🙂

Ever since I came across Mother Root‘s 0.1% ABV alcohol-free aperitif, my days have been fueled by the summery vibrancy of this drink that excites & fascinates me. It’s not often that I get the chance to write about British products – and to fondly remember the years I spent in the UK.
 
Mother Root was founded by Bethan Higson in 2018, while she was pregnant and looking for an alcohol-free drink that felt like the real thing. With over 10 years of experience in the wine business, Bethan was up for the challenge of creating this drink from scratch, drawing inspiration from ancient Greek health tonics and 17th century switchel recipes. After 2 years of testing, Mother Root – a bold, fiery aperitif that’s easy to turn into a spritz at home – was born.
 
In October 2025, Bethan and COO Alice Galsworthy appeared on the TV show Dragons’ Den. Following their successful pitch, the drink became a viral sensation in the UK!
 

Mother Root is made with apple cider vinegar (ACV), ginger, blossom honey, and chilli – a combination that is designed not just to satisfy the taste buds, but also to promote whole-being. ACV is the backbone of Mother Root: “it lifts the ginger, mellows into the honey, and harmonises the chilli.” 
 

The brand recommends serving Mother Root poured over ice and topped with soda water after shaking the bottle 8 times, a crucial step that ensures the even distribution of the ACV inside. I added freshly squeezed mandarin orange juice & rose-flavored syrup, and felt invigorated from the very first sip  I loved the combination with the citrus, amplifying the brightness but also sweetening it further.

Fiery, tangy, and perfectly balanced, Mother Root is a flavor sensation that awakens & restores. Cheers to a world of delicious, inspiring possibilities 🙂

  • Field’s Great

Field’s Great was co-founded by Melissa Feldman, whose commitment to living a healthier lifestyle led her to discover the transformative power of nutrition. “With years of experience working for leading better-for-you companies in the nutrition space, Melissa gained valuable insights into what truly works for long-term health and wellness.

These experiences, combined with her own health journey, inspired her to create Field’s Great Nutrition, offering science-backed, high-quality nutritional solutions to help adults 45 and older overcome their own health challenges and live their best lives. Through Field’s Great Nutrition, Melissa is dedicated to empowering older adults to not only live well but to truly feel great every day.”

Field’s Great is a premium plant-based protein powder designed specifically for adults who want to stay strong, energized, and active as they age. Each serving delivers 30g of protein, 5g of fiber, and clinically studied ingredients to support muscle maintenance, gut health, and balanced energy, without added sugar or artificial ingredients.

I made a habit out of adding Field’s Great Vanilla to my coffee every morning, along with collagen and freeze-dried fruits, and the results have been outstanding. I have been feeling more energetic and ready for the days ahead. I strongly believe Field’s Great has made a positive impact on my body and my well-being.

  • TravelR™ 24L Soft Cooler Backpack

For those of us who are on the move this summer, the TravelR™ Soft Cooler Backpack from ROVR Products is the hands-free upgrade we didn’t know we needed 🙂

This super sleek travel product combines the function of a high-performance cooler with the ease of a comfortable, go-anywhere backpack – perfect for beach days, park picnics, sports sidelines, or weekend adventures.

Why I love the TravelR™ Soft Cooler Backpack:

  • ColdR™ Tech keeps drinks and food cold for hours with leak-resistant zippers and a waterproof liner
  • Hands-free carry makes it easy for moms juggling kids, bags, and everything in between
  • LoadR™ Wide Top opening = quick packing, easy access, no digging around
  • Spacious 24L capacity fits food and drinks for the entire family

  • Built-in bottle opener
  • Stylish, everyday design and colors that transitions from trail to town effortlessly

From its superb purpose to its stylish design, this product has been an incredible discovery, and I recommend it for its impressive functionality and sturdiness. A must-have while on the road by yourself or with your loved ones!

  • Domenica Marchetti’s Italian Cookies

Want to read while on the road? I’ve got the perfect recommendation for you: Domenica Marchetti’s Italian Cookies: Authentic Recipes and Sweet Stories from Every Region 🙂

Enjoy a beautiful, comprehensive guided tour of Italy’s regions by cookies and cookie stories. With recipes steeped in history and tradition, the book capitalizes on our love of everything cookies and our love of everything Italian.

This definitive Italian cookie cookbook has 100 authentic recipes, including baking hints and techniques, plus regional stories and a list of Italian bakeries. From Lombardi’s super-soft Amaretti de Gallarate to Tuscany’s crunchy twice-baked Cantucci; Abruzzo’s rustic Pizzelle to Sardina’s fennel-scented Anisetti, the reader will discover cookies for every taste and occasion.

I have one of Domenica’s previous books, The Glorious Pasta of Italy, which is an immersive exposition of Italian regional pasta dishes, shapes, and techniques, intended to provide “inspired pasta recipes, from simple weeknight preparations to showstoppers featuring delicate handmade noodles.” Similarly to her pasta cookbook, Domenica’s cookie book impresses me with its technical rigor and informative value, and I highly recommend it to passionate bakers, and to Italian food lovers more broadly.

  • Aveeno Positively Radiant Vitamin C Serum

Get glowy, radiant skin all summer long with a Vitamin C Serum formulated for sensitive skin! I recently received a sample of Aveeno®‘s new Positively Radiant® Vitamin C Serum, and my skin has been feeling and looking great.

This Vitamin C serum is made with Vitamin Cg (a stabilized Vitamin C derivative that gradually converts to vitamin C within the skin’s surface), Antioxidant Oat (which soothes skin and defends against environmental stressors like UV exposure and pollution) and Niacinamide (to smooth and even skin tone).

Why I love Aveeno’s Positively Radiant Vitamin C Serum:

  • Not sticky
  • Lightweight
  • Skin-friendly pH
  • Designed for sensitive skin
  • Fragrance-free

You are welcome to check out my past summer product roundups here, here, here and here. Enjoy 🙂

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