We know you have been waiting! It’s that time of year again when our group of energetic, cheesy cheese-loving brand ambassadors hit the road in Tillamook orange in a city near you! They will kick off the tour in Phoenix and Lubbock spreading the Loaf at a store near you. Don’t miss meeting the team! See pictures below and read a short bio about each unique team member and don’t forget to check out the schedule online!

WEST TEAM

Madison O.
Hey cheese lovers! My name is Madison Ornstil and I grew up eating awesome Tillamook Cheese in Oakland, California. I come from a sports loving family, so when I am not eating yummy Tillamook cheese you can likely find me cheering on my favorite teams.  My only issue with sports games is people eating all that processed nacho cheese. To them I say, “GIVE ME TILLAMOOK!” I moved to Portland after graduating college in Chicago. Chicago was great, but I needed more natural cheese in my life, so I decided to move straight to the source.  Can’t wait to see you on tour!

Matt M.
Monterey Matt checking in from Portland getting all excited to hit the road and visit y’all! I have grown up on Tillamook my entire life and am ready to share some of my memories and experiences with you and hope you will share in return. Tillamook Cheese goes best on nacho cheese chips melted in the microwave or on a juicy burger piled high with an egg and bacon. When I am not sharing all my knowledge about Tillamook, I will be enjoying the sunshine in Southern California, spring training in Arizona, and attending many, many country concerts wherever they are. Some favorites include Brad Paisley, Eric Church, and of course George Strait. I can’t wait to hit the road and see all your smiling faces after I give you the most amazing cheese. Here’s to a great Loaf Love Tour 2013!!!

Pokou X.
*Waves* Greetings Tillamook Lovers! My name is Pakou and I’ll be on the road spreading the loaf love! I was first introduced to Tillamook Cheese and all of their dairy goodies when I moved to Portland, Oregon from Northern California. Since cheese was not something that was a part of my culture, I grew up thinking that processed cheese was real cheese. Boy was I wrong, and once I learned the difference, I haven’t gone back! Tillamook is about the only cheese you’ll find in our refrigerator these days! This is my second year on tour, so I look forward to catching up with people that I’ve met last year and meeting with new people! See you all soon!

Virginia H.
*Dancing in the Cheese Aisle!* I’m Virginia and I love Tillamook Cheese! When I heard there was a job telling the world about what awesome cheese Tillamook makes, I knew it would be the perfect job for me and my cheese shaped earrings! I can’t wait to go to new towns and share the great products that Tillamook makes! If I’m not sharing our cheese samples with you, I may be in the ice cream isle looking for my favorite Tillamook Marionberry Pie Ice Cream!

Dee Dee R.
Hi Guys! My name is Dee Dee! I am so excited to be a part of the Loaf Love Tour!!! To represent a company from Oregon that I truly love! I can’t wait to share the products that I enjoy with the West Coast! I have enjoyed Tillamook products all my life! My favorite Tillamook product is the Sharp Cheddar Cheese. Pair that with a Summer Sausage on a Ritz crackers and Yummmm it’s tasty! Our team will be hitting many cities up and down the West Coast and I can’t wait to rollerblade the Boardwalks of California! Perhaps wearing a Tillamook shirt while rollerblading? You might just see me! You can follow me on twitter @CheesyDeeLLT! Tweet Me! I’d love to hear from you!

Ray W.
Hi! I’m Ray, my Twitter name is @LoafOutLoud because I am always laughing. I grew up in a little barn house on the Little Nestucca River. That’s just south of the Tillamook Cheese Factory! I was raised on Tillamook Cheese, and have even met several of the farmers and their cows. My favorite cheese is Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese, because it’s like a huge kick in the mouth (in a good way, of course)! I’m a dork and you’ll notice this when you meet me. Be prepared for some cheesy puns and a hearty laugh!

Elisa B.
New girl on the block here, CheesyLisy checking in from the road! Originally from Oregon’s very own state capital, Salem, I am ecstatic to be a part of the Love Loaf Tour to tell you all about Tillamook’s yummy cheeses! I tend to only like the best of the best so naturally I have been a Tillamook connoisseur since I started buying my own groceries. In fact, I love Tillamook Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream so much I had a bowl of it EVERY night my first year of college! Mmm. Another thing about me is my love for swimming, so I am looking forward to checking out some of the local beaches we stop by on the tour! Maybe I’ll catch you there or you can follow me on Twitter @CheesyLisy to find out all about what’s happing on the Love Loaf Tour!

EAST TEAM

April A.
April FoCheezy 2.0! It’s that time of the year again where I get to load up my suitcases and fly on out to Texas to represent my favorite, Tillamook Cheese! I was lucky enough to be a part of the Loaf Love Tour in 2012 and am so excited to be back for the LLT’s fourth year! Growing up in Portland, my family always had Tillamook Cheese in the house. Throughout the years I’ve tried almost all of the different cheesy flavors we offer, but my favorite has always been our World’s Best Medium Cheddar! I love making my homemade Mac ‘n’ Cheese with the Medium Cheddar! It is always so creamy and flavorful and doesn’t require any other seasoning than a little salt and pepper!

Last year on the road I was able to do a lot of exploring in the different cities around the country we were working in.  Since I’m a pretty adventurous person, I’m very excited to get back out there and see what the cities will have to offer me this year!

Katie L.
Hi my name KT Loaf Love, but you can call me Katie. I was raised in Portland, Oregon on all Tillamook products. I am so excited to travel the country and tell you all about what Tillamook has to offer. My very favorite Tillamook products are the Medium Cheddar and Sharp Cheddar. They make the very best grilled cheese sandwiches! Other than traveling the country and talking about Tillamook, I enjoy going out with friends and enjoying all that Portland has to offer, and trust me, there is quite a lot. I can’t wait to meet all of your new faces on the road very soon!

Ashley R.
In the Tillamook community I’m known as Tillatastic Ash. I am a cheese-lovin’ veteran of the 2012 Loaf Love Tour and am beyond excited to be back for 2013! It was an easy decision to join the LLT team again this year because I’ve been a fan of Tillamook my whole life…but I really just couldn’t resist being around Tillamook Cheese 24/7 for another year! My grandparents took me to the Oregon Coast and Tillamook Cheese Factory every other summer when I was a little kid and I’ve been eating Tillamook products ever since! One reason I loaf being on the road is because I love adventure-I’ll try almost anything once. I enjoy being active outside; hiking, playing catch, going to the river, site seeing in new places! I’m entertained easily and excited about everything! Find me driving the new Tillatruck in Texas this year and I’ll share the loaf love!

Inge P.
Hello I’m Inge from Newberg, OR and my favorite Tillamook products are the Tillamook Cheese and Tillamook Ice Cream. I’ve been eating Tillamook products as long as I can remember. I really love visiting the Tillamook Cheese Factory and picking up a bag of Squeaky Cheese. I also slice a piece (or 2) of Sharp Cheddar off the loaf for my sandwiches. When I’m not eating cheese, I’m usually planning my next adventure trip overseas, playing basketball or decorating cakes.

Shelby J.
Hi there, I’m Shelby! And I am crazy in love with Tillamook Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese…we were introduced by a friend a few years ago and I’m certain I’ve found the Loaf of my life. I’ve been eating Tillamook Cheese for 24 years. I was raised on this stuff and will raise my own family on this stuff. Cheese makes everything better, and makes its way into just about every other, if not every dish that I make, I can’t help it, I LOAF the taste! Not to mention, I am a health nut and Tillamook Cheese is natural, WIN! I will eat cheese any way, but my favorite is melted in and over a hot dish of chicken enchiladas with a creamy white sauce, both topped and filled with cheesey goodness. Apart from my love for food and cooking, I am totally Oregon made, I love the outdoors!! I crave adventure and spontaneity, and will jump at any opportunity to do something I’ve never tried before, minus sky diving. One of my favorite recent adventures was going spear fishing in Hawaii! What are your favorite adventures and loaf love stories? Let me know on Twitter @shellBEsharp. Catch ya lata!

Elida G.
When I first learned that the tour I had applied for had something to do with Tillamook Cheese I nearly fell out of my chair, proceeded to shout “I LOVE CHEESE!” and “This is THE job for me!” Keep in mind I hadn’t even been called for an interview and I was still so excited, so when I received a call from the team offering me a position on the Love Loaf Tour I immediately accepted. I wish I could garnish my love for cheese with lavish adjectives, but it’s just so simple. I love Tillamook Cheese, and can’t wait to share the cheese with the rest of the country. Oh, I forgot to mention, I’m Elida! Feel free to follow me on my journey via Twitter @ElidaCheddar!

By Tillamook

Meet Alyssa!

Alyssa is a dancer, music lover and lifelong fan of Tillamook Cheese. Her favorite Tillamook products are Special Reserve Extra Sharp Cheddar and Chocolaty Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream (but not together!). She dreams of someday trying every Tillamook Ice Cream flavor, but in the meantime, she’ll enjoy her Tillamook Cheese on just about everything.

Meet Noelle!

Noelle’s Granddad grew up on a dairy farm in Tillamook, so she has Tillamook Cheese running through her veins! She’s a big travel fan and loves hanging out with her friends and family. When she’s not driving one of our Baby Loaf buses, you’ll find her driving her own 1972 VW Bug! Follow Noelle on Twitter @Noelle_LLT.

Meet Asteria!

Asteria has been eating Tillamook Cheese for two decades and tries to incorporate cheese in to most of her meals. One of her favorite ways to enjoy some Hot Habanero Jack is with grapes or apple slices. She’s a fan of food and travel TV shows and loves relaxing poolside. Follow Asteria on Twitter @AspiringAsteria.

Meet Andrew!

Andrew says he was basically born eating Tillamook Cheese because “my mother refused to feed us children anything but Tillamook.” His favorite Tillamook product is Marionberry Pie Ice Cream, which he sometimes eats right out of the carton! He’s an avid hiker and fisherman and is looking forward to hiking when the tour visits Utah!

Meet April!

Medium Cheddar tops April’s list of Tillamook favorites because it’s her “use-on-anything-and-everything cheese.” She also can’t say no to a bowl of Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream.  When she’s not sharing Tillamook Cheese with lucky people on tour, she loves to bake and cook with her friends. Follow her on Twitter @FoCheeezy.

Meet Maya!

Maya was born and raised in Portland and has been eating and loafing Tillamook “for a looooong long time!” Unlike her fellow BAs, Maya’s favorite Tillamook product changes every week, but she says she could never live without Shredded Sharp Cheddar! If you ask her friends and family, they would say that Maya could eat quesadillas every day and be happy. Follow her on Twitter @TillaMaya.

Meet Pakou!

Pakou is a recent Tillamook convert after moving to Portland from Northern California and learning “that the cheese I was eating was not real cheese!” She’s a fan of Garlic Chili Pepper Cheddar and is currently obsessed with cheesy bread! Ask her for her recipe when you see her on tour! Follow her on Twitter @PepperCornyPaku.

Meet Kylie!

Look in Kylie’s freezer at home and you’ll find a gallon of Marionberry Ice Cream because “there are actual pie crust chunks in there!” But it’s not just about Ice Cream, she’s been eating Tillamook Cheese for 22 years! Her favorite recipes are creamy scalloped potatoes with Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar or Medium Cheddar on a bacon burger – Yum!

Meet Ashley!

Ashley’s grandparents are to thank for her loaf for Tillamook Cheese! During her weekly visits to their house, her grandma always gave her cheese and crackers to snack on. Since then, she’s discovered a love for Tillamook Oregon Strawberry Yogurt, which is her go-to snack between classes in college. She loves adventure, trying new things and traveling to new places! Follow her on Twitter @TillatasticAsh.

Meet Coy!

Coy attributes his notorious sweet tooth to his loaf for Tillamook Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream. He says he’s not much of a cook, so he likes to eat Tillamook in its purest form – straight from the package! Running, biking and golf top Coy’s list of favorite hobbies. That’s when he’s not hanging out with his other cheesy Brand Ambassadors on tour. Follow him on Twitter @CheddarCoy.

Meet Jason!

Ask Jason and he’ll tell you he’s been eating Tillamook for as long as he can remember! Some of his favorite Tillamook memories come from trips to the Oregon coast and the Cheese Factory. When he’s not helping keep the tour running smoothly, you’ll find him on the golf course, basketball court or “just plain living life.” Follow him on Twitter @JamminJason.

Meet Susan!

Garlic Chilli Pepper Cheddar tops Susan’s list of favorite thing from Tillamook! She says the best thing about Tillamook Cheese is that “no matter what you put it on, your food tastes better!” She loves being on the Loaf Love Tour because of her love for travel! When she’s not on the Tour, you guessed it! she’d be traveling! Follow her on Twitter @SmilinSusan.

By Loafy

Grilling up a BBQ Grilled Cheese Sammich while traveling as a Loaf Love Tour Brand Ambassador

Kelly Sanders is a former Loaf Love Tour Brand Ambassador and blogger at Around the World in One Blog who just can’t get enough Tillamook Cheese. She travels the world looking for the best places to eat, and on her way, she’s learned some great ways to use Tillamook.

Recipe Details

• Prep time: 10 min
• Total time: 25 min
• Yield (number of servings): 2

Recipe Overview

As a Loaf Love Tour Brand Ambassador I traveled the country and lived in hotels.  I spent my days surrounded by delicious Tillamook Cheese and incredible produce at local Farmer’s Markets. Whenever I got back to the hotel, I had to find ways to combine this great food with my only option for cooking; the hotel BBQ. Thus, the hotel grilled cheese was invented.

Ingredients List

• 8oz Tillamook Garlic Chili Pepper Cheddar, shredded
• 6 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 4 slices good dense white bread
• 4 basil leaves
• 6 spears of Asparagus
• 1 zucchini, sliced
• Half a red onion, sliced in rings
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tsp Kosher salt
• 1tsp pepper

Preparation/Instructions

Place asparagus, zucchini slices and onion slices in a shallow pan. Cover vegetables with the remaining olive oil, kosher salt, pepper and chopped garlic.  Allow to marinade for as long as possible but even 5 minutes is enough.

Pre-heat grill. Brush 2 tbsp of olive oil on all sides of the bread slices. Grill bread until grill lines appear on bread. Remove from heat.

Grill marinade veggies until chard with grill lines. Place shredded cheese in a grill safe pan and allow the cheese to melt. Watch the cheese closely as it can quickly over cook.

Assemble the sammich. Place one slice of bread on a plate. Add ¼ of the melted cheese, followed by two basil leaves, half the zucchini, a few onion slices, and 3 asparagus spears. Add another ¼ of the melted cheese. Place the second slice of bread and push firmly on the sandwich to help it stick together. Repeat for second sandwich.

By Tillamook

Meet Andy, Alyssa, Pakou, Asteria and April!

Howdy y’all! The Loaf Love Tour has just arrived to the great state of Texas! To keep in step with true Texas spirit, we’ve gotten bigger as well – all five buses, including another Daddy Loaf truck and trailer, a second tour manager, and four more awesome, Tillamook lovin’ Brand Ambassadors have joined us to help spread the Loaf Love! I’m still getting to know my new coworkers but the getting-to-know-you phase happens pretty fast when you spend nearly all of your time doing Tillamook-y things and living in hotels together 24-7!

New to the crew this year joining me, Jason and Susan from last year’s tour are Coy (a laid back, avid adventurer from Washington), Drew (an artistic, fellow Oregon Duck alum (Go Ducks!)), Ashley (a chatty, cheery Coug and Walla Wallaian), and Maya (a constantly joking recent grad and born-and-bred Oregonian). To round out the bigger-is-better Texas crew, last week we welcomed the new faces of Asteria (a former tasting room pro who knows how to talk about Yum!), Pakou (a bubbly, creative Portlandian), Alyssa (a music loving, dance-aholic Oregonian Duck), April (a never-met-a-Tillamook-anything-she didn’t-like Portland girl) and Andy (a sport obsessed, outdoorsy Portland State grad). In no time I’m sure we’ll all be one big happy cheese family on the road in Texas! We hope to see some of you along the way!

So far, Texas has started off wonderfully – everyone has been super friendly and helpful! The impeccable manners combined with that endearing Texan accent sure are charming the heck out of me! We’re just wrapping up a couple short stops in west Texas and will be pulling into Dallas this week followed by Austin, Houston and San Antonio over the next three months. The Tillamook Loaf Love Tour is here, and I couldn’t be more excited to be along for the ride!

If you’re in Texas or know anyone who is, be sure to send ‘em our way! We’re waiting with delicious cheese samples and other goodies sent straight from rainy Oregon to the big ol’ state of Texas!

See you on the road,

Noelle

Follow me on Twitter @Noelle_LLT

By NoelleLLT

Have you ever wondered how the Tillamook Loaf Love Tour is able to get our delicious cheese cut into perfect little bite size cubes? Well I have discovered the answer: Cubing Parties! These parties are one of the first steps we Loaf Love Tour Brand Ambassadors do to make sure everyone of our Tillamook Cheese lovers gets that perfect bite.

Perfect little cubes of cheese!

We’re a month into our 2011 tour and everyone has quickly picked up on their role at the party. We begin by washing our hands in the kitchen of our hotel, then we turn up the music, and we all maintain our position and begin the cubing. Jason is in charge of opening the loafs of cheese, Tyler uses this funky cheese cutting tool (which is similar to a cutting machine you would use in school), and then the guys pass off the big blocks of cheese to us gals. With our lovely doctor gloves on, we separate each and every cube. All the while, we’re talking up a storm and dancing like its Saturday night. After we have broken apart 300 pieces, we bag the cheese up and put it in the cooler for the next day. The amount of cheese that needs to be cubed is determined by the events coming up for the next few days; basically we just estimate and hope for the best. We never want to run out of samples for the best fans in the world!

Once the cubing begins to wind down, I start my favorite part: cleaning! I’ll collect all our supplies and bring them over to the huge industrial size sink and dishwasher. I have had jobs in the restaurant world so this is a cinch for me! Cubing parties often remind me of a fun little make-shift factory… just think of Thelma and Louise or Lucy and Ethel when they’re working in the chocolate factory!

I think we have just a little too much fun doing this!

Isn’t it nice to know your Loaf Love Tour team is dancing up a storm while preparing your yummy little bites with love?

-Jenn, Loaf Love Tour Brand Ambassador

By Jenn