Amy's 1 ½ year-old-daughter, Rebekah, eating her veggies dipped in Tillamook Sour Cream

Amy, our December Fan of the Month, is one of our Twitter friends. She loves to Tweet us up, and we loaf to Tweet her back. Here’s some fun facts about Amy:

Q: What is your favorite Tillamook product?
A: My favorite Tillamook product, is the Special Reserve Extra Sharp Cheddar.

Q: What is your favorite recipe that uses Tillamook products?
A: My Cheeseburger Soup is always a big hit! It really needs the tang of the extra sharp cheddar to keep it from tasting too rich.

Q: What is a random fact about you (something most people don’t know about)?
A: I have to have the exact same number of cheese to cracker ratio on my plate. I have been known to cut up the crackers, to allow a piece for each chunk of cheese. Notice how removing the extra cheese is not an option.

Q: Anything else you can share about your love for Tillamook?
A: As a lover of home cooking, what draws me to the Tillamook brand is that the products all taste as if they were homemade. Everything has its own unique flavor and texture-making them perfect for inventing new recipes.

Congrats on being our Fan of the Month, Amy!

By Loafy

November Fan of the Month, Zach, with his Mom Anita.

I made a fun little discovery the other day — an entire blog about Tillamook Cheese marketing. And no, it’s not written by a Tillamook employee! It’s written by Zach, a Speech Communication student at Utah Valley University. Not only is Zach excited about some of the things that Tillamook does, online, to reach out to our Fans, but he’s also a devoted Tillamook fan himself!

Q: How long have you been eating Tillamook dairy products? When did your “Loaf Love” for Tillamook begin?

A: I have been eating Tillamook dairy products since I was a little kid when my mom discovered that Tillamook cheese was sold at one of our local grocery stores. We always get the Medium Cheddar which is my favorite and we often get the Colby Jack as well. Both make an excellent Tillamook grilled cheese sandwich. My “Loaf Love” began with my first visit to the Tillamook Cheese Factory when I was around 7 years old. That first trip I remember this HUGE round table chuck full of tons of different cheeses. My parents had little baggies and were filling them up with their favorite kinds. We each got a bag and put some of our favorites in the bag. I remember putting squeaky cheese in mine as did my sister Tennessa. At a later visit to the factory when I was older we went to the cafeteria part of the factory and I tried my first Tillamook Ice Cream shake which was hands down (and still is) the best shake I have ever put to my palette. Literally – HOLY COW! Sooooo good! I’ve been to a few different cheese factories and always like to try different shakes at different places and nothing compares (sorry BYU Creamery fans).

Q: What’s your favorite Tillamook product?

A: My favorite Tillamook product is terribly difficult to choose and anyone I know can attest to that, but if I had to choose one it would be Grandma’s Cake Batter Ice Cream. Words cannot describe how I feel about that Ice Cream. I once got a brain freeze eating some and, you know when you stop until your brain warms up and the pain disappears, well I had no control and stuffed another spoonful down my throat regardless. Not a great idea, but gives you the picture that Grandma’s Cake Batter must be my favorite. A close second is Cookie Dough.

Q: What are you doing when you’re not eating Tillamook products? What are your hobbies?

A: When I’m not eating a Tillamook product, I’m usually not near a kitchen or a grocery store and so I am either at work building robots at Robotronics, studying at school, playing one of my favorite sports (Volleyball, Basketball, Soccer, or beating a friend of mine at Ping Pong), or I might be practicing telling children’s stories out loud. Those are my hobbies. I also tutor ASL the university I attend, something I love to do.

Q: Anything else you want to share about your love for Tillamook? Any stories?

A: One time I was living in an apartment with four other missionaries who were skeptical that Tillamook was worth spending the extra buck for at the supermarket, so I challenged them to a cheese tasting contest. We each brought home that evening our favorite medium cheddar cheese (five different brands which will remain nameless) and cut up several cubes of each and put them on labeled paper plates. One by one we blind folded each other and tasted each cheese in random order, rating each one in order out loud afterwards while still being blindfolded (to avoid bias). ALL FIVE OF US (including me of course) rated Tillamook Medium Cheddar Cheese as the number one best tasting cheese of the five brands. And what was even cooler? The next shopping day each missionary had bought home a brick of Tillamook. Mission accomplished!

Q: We love your blog about Tillamook! What’s the story behind it?

A: The Tillamook blog was started actually as an assignment in my Intro to Mass Communications Class at UVU. When we were asked to start a blog for this semester the immediate first thing that popped into my head was Tillamook in the media (because I had seen for the first time here in Utah a commercial about Tillamook cheese – the broccoli one – so I knew there was something I could do). Anyway, the inspiration was already there from my love of the cheese and I think so far it has been a success. I only wish that I could share more of my love for the products rather than discussing Tillamook’s relation to the media. Oh well, it has been fun.

Thanks for being our November Fan of the Month, Zach! Stay cheesy!

By Loafy

Hi there — Loafy here! I have the best job ever. Not only do I get to work for the best cheese company, but I get the chance to talk to all of Tillamook’s amazing fans through our Blog, Facebook, and Twitter, every day! What a great way for you all to show us Loaf Love, ask questions, and let us know how we’re doing. We have so many devoted fans out there, and every once in a while I run across a super fan — someone who just stands out and makes me smile bigger than ever. This month, that someone is Melissa, one of my most favorite Twitter followers. She just has a way with words (er, um, Tweets I mean) and I feel extra warm and cheesy whenever I hear from her. Here’s what Melissa had to say about being a Tillamook fan:

Q: How long have you been eating Tillamook dairy products? When did your “Loaf Love” for Tillamook begin?

A: I first started to fall in love with Tillamook cheese in the year of 2007. I had just moved out on my own and had to do all the grocrey shopping for the house. Something about Tillamook just caught my eye when cruising down the dairy aisle. Maybe it was the cute sail boat in your logo, I’ve always been the type of person to choose brands that I’ve never tried before. So maybe I was just simply curious! After my first purchase, I would slice the loaf every morning to make sandwiches for lunch. My LOAF LOVE was set on fire, I would never buy another brand again!

Q: What’s your favorite Tillamook product?

A: Medium Cheddar is my obsession. I would love to try the Garlic White Cheddar one day, I have yet to find it in my local grocery stores. That’s why I cannot wait to take my trip up to the Tillamook Factory one of these days!

Q: What are you doing when you’re not eating Tillamook products? What are your hobbies?

A: I hardly ever stop eating my favorite Tillamook products! But when I do, and when the weather is nice, I enjoy hiking and exploring new beach fronts to watch the sunset, while eating Tilla-moos of course! And cooking!! A big time hobby of mine! Dining at restaurants, hole in the wall diners and local eateries, food trucks I’ve never experienced before — is a big part of my hobby list, which allows me to run my Facebook Group page – Fatkid Code. Tillamook is always featured on my page, because if I’m not cooking with Tillamook Cheese, I’m eating it.

Q: Why do you like following Loafy on Twitter?

A: Lets be real, LOAFY is amazing! Always replying to my tweets and showing how much Tillamook appreciates their fans! Being able to share my Tillamook stories or pictures with Loafy via Twitter has made me become an even BIGGER Fan of Tillamook.

Q: Anything else you can share about your love for Tillamook?

Seeing your emails always make me smile. If you have not noticed I loaf Tilla-moos, and always have a pack of sliced cheddar at work. If I’m not eating it slice by slice, I’m pairing it with crackers or homemade hamburgers! I love the “Know Your Cheese” game online, and also appreciate the recipes section of your website! All in all I LOVE Tillamook products and the company as a whole. Your fun vibe and easy going approach allows your fans to interact and smile when they hear Tillamook, which is breath of fresh air. Thanks Loafy and Tillamook for making me Fan of the Month, I am honored, this is one of the most cheesetastic things that has ever happened to me!!

Thanks for being the Tillamook Cheese Fan of the Month, Melissa! I sent a tasty gift box your way!

By Loafy

Jaran (Tillamook Cheese Fan of the Month), his son Jericho, and his poem.

Here at Tillamook we get a lot of Fan comments, questions, tips, advice, feedback and kudos. We love it because it helps us create products that everyone loves and provide you with information that’s helpful. Most of this customer interaction comes to us through the internet — our Contact Us page, Facebook, Twitter and email. But to our surprise, and excitement, we received something special in the mail recently. Jaran from St. George, Utah actually snail mailed us a printed poem, that he wrote, about his favorite Tillamook product, Tillamook Mudslide Ice Cream. This non-traditional (for 2011), creative and super kind gesture made him the perfect choice for Tillamook Fan of the Month.

Q: What is your favorite Tillamook product?
A: Tillamook Mudslide is my favorite product.

Q: What is your favorite recipe that uses Tillamook products?
A: My favorite dish is homemade mac and cheese with cheddar.

Q: What is a random fact about you (something most people don’t know about)?
A: I’ve lived in 5 different states since I was 12: California, Oregon, Arizona, Georgia and Utah.

Q: Anything else you can share about your love for Tillamook?
A: I’ve always loved traveling to Oregon. I grew up with five sisters and being the only boy, the youngest at that, I had it rough. We always fought and disagreed what songs to sing or music to listen to. Where to eat and stuff like that were always a battle. But there was one thing we could agree on, we all wanted to go to Tillamook. Tillamook was always the highlight of our many road trips to Oregon.

What Tillamook product do you love so you much you’d write a poem, or a song, or maybe a limerick about?

By Scott

Kaitlyn G. - Tillamook Cheese Fan of the Month

We first met Kaitlyn when the Tillamook Cheese Loaf Love Tour was in San Francisco, California last year. As evidenced by her Tillamook t-shirt, “I Loaf you” pin, and Tillamook Sharp Cheddar Cheese Baby Loaf, Kaitlyn is a true Tillamook fan!

Thanks for being our August Fan of the Month, Kaitlyn! Stay cheesy!

Q: How long have you been eating Tillamook dairy products? When did your “Loaf Love” for Tillamook begin?
A: Tillamook was my very first cheese. My mom has been eating Tillamook since she was a little girl and remembers touring the Cheese Factory on a family road trip from LA to Vancouver. She and my dad also stopped for a visit at the Factory on their honeymoon. I’ve always loafed Tillamook!!
 
Q: What’s your favorite Tillamook product?
A: My favorite is the Tillamook Medium Cheddar Cheese, it’s just soo perfect. Tillamook Sharp Cheddar Cheese and Tillamook Pepper Jack are pretty tasty too! I wish we had Tillamook Ice Cream near home, that would be nice!
 
Q: What are you doing when you’re not eating Tillamook products? What are your hobbies?
A: I like to read, hike, swim, and hang out with my friends. I can eat Tillamook during any of those activities, well, maybe not while swimming.
 
Q: Anything else you want to share about your love for Tillamook? Any stories?
A: Last year when I first learned about the Loaf Love Tour, I dressed in my cheesy best and made a sign shouting my loaf of the loaf! We chased down the tour, ate samples, took pictures and had a great time. This year we missed the tour when it was near us. The only person who might loaf Tillamook as much as me is my mom!

Kaitlyn met the Loaf Love Tour in 2010 and made a sign to show her own "Loaf Love" for Tillamook!

By Loafy

Lorie Davis, the Tillamook Cheese July Fan of the Month

In honor of National Ice Cream Month, we selected a true Tillamook Ice Cream lover to be our July Fan of the Month. We first “met” Lorie when she left a comment on a blog post about our Ice Cream Photo Contest:

“Boy! Would I ever like to send you a picture of this 69 year old grandma diving into a gigantic, heaping bowl of my favorite ice cream in the world: Tillamook Mudslide! If only I could figure out some way to get a massive carton of it sent down her to Austin, Texas! I have to wait 6 months until my semi-annual trip to Portland, at which time I eat several!”

Thanks for being our July Fan of the Month, Lorie! Hope you eat lots of Tillamook Mudslide on your next trip to Portland!

Q: How long have you been eating Tillamook dairy products? When did your “Loaf Love” for Tillamook begin?
A: I’ve eaten and liked Tillamook Cheese for decades. But my love affair began when I toured your Cheese Factory, and had a super-sized cone of Tillamook Ice Cream right there in your gift shop. OHHHHHH! I cannot describe the bliss! The most glorious flavor of ice cream that had ever caressed my tongue!

Q: What’s your favorite Tillamook product?
A: Without question, Tillamook Mudslide Ice Cream! I can’t get enough, and eat it obsessively when it is available! I live in Texas now, and lament bitterly that I can’t get your wonderful ice cream down here!

Q: What’s your favorite Tillamook Ice Cream flavor?
A: As stated above, I adore and crave Tillamook Mudslide: Super chocolaty ice cream with thin layers of chocolate shell (the kind that melts on your tongue) strewn all through and between. (For some, it might be a chocolate overload — but “overload” and “chocolate” have never co-existed in my comprehension. More! More!).

I confess that during my bi-annual trips to Portland, I always buy a couple of cartons of Mudslide and eat them all gone! I have been known to share, but my kids and grandkids have to race me to the freezer. I can take down a carton in a day – little bowls smuggled off to my room so nobody will actually see what a glutton I am. It’s just too voluptuous to resist! (I don’t do this with any other ice cream, by the way. And, of course, I repent at leisure later.)

Q: What are you doing when you’re not eating Tillamook products? What are your hobbies?
A: I write novels! I have four published novels in the Iron Rose series under the name of Lorie H. Nicholes. I have sleep-over dates with my 12 grandchildren, when we do all sorts of fun things together. I’m an artist, love to sew and design clothing, furniture, and homey things. I tell stories in costume to any group who wants me, in highly dramatic fashion (photo of this below:  My Fairy Godmother persona). I enjoy carpentry, silver jewelry casting, and inventing stuff. Twice a month I teach Career Workshops for job-seekers at the LDS Employment Center. And I read 4 hours a day (most delightfully if I am also delicately licking spoonfuls of Tillamook Mudslide Ice Cream!). You can tell I’m retired, right?

Q: Anything else you want to share about your love for Tillamook?
A: You do make great cheese! I love the Mozzarella and Sharp Cheddar especially. Grilled cheese sandwiches on homemade whole wheat! Yum!

One of Lorie's hobbies: dramatic storytelling in costume

By Loafy

Fan of the Month Emily with Ella, her new little "Baby Loaf."

I’ve personally had a glimpse inside the fridge and freezer of Emily Boullet, our June Fan of the Month, and one thing was immediately clear: Emily’s house is a Tillamook house! She was stocked up on every type of Tillamook product — cheese, yogurt, sour cream, butter, and ice cream. It was like she had a mini Cheese Factory in her kitchen!  

Thanks for being our Fan of the Month, Emily! We appreciate your Tillamook “Loaf Love.” We’ll be sending a tasty cheese-filled gift box your way — hope you and your family enjoy it!

Q: How long have you been eating Tillamook dairy products? When did your “Loaf Love” for Tillamook begin?
A: I’ve been eating Tillamook products for as long as I can remember. One of my earliest memories was when I was 5 years old and my Great Great Uncle Rex (who lived in Warrenton, OR) and I walked down to the community market cafe. He bought me an ice cream cone with a scoop of Brown Cow (now Udderly Chocolate Ice Cream).

Q: What’s your favorite Tillamook product?
A: Cheese!! Classic cheddar is my favorite! Although I still do have quite a weakness for the Udderly Chocolate Ice Cream (there’s usually 2 containers of it in my freezer at all times)!

Q: What’s a random fact about you (something most people don’t know about)?
A: My husband proposed the night after we toured the Tillamook Cheese Factory in November 2006. I had purchased a yummy bar of soap in the gift shop that day, so I emailed the local maker and ordered that soap as our wedding favors!

Q: Anything else you can share about your love for Tillamook?
A: I only use Tillamook products! Cheese, sour cream, yogurt, ice cream, etc. Not only do I LOVE it, but I am proud to support our local economy! I’ve even sent cheese as gifts to out of state family members!

By Loafy

Seletta "Luna" Raven, Tillamook Cheese May 2011 Fan of the Month

Meet our May Fan of the Month, Seletta (a.k.a. Luna) Raven! She’s one of our most fun and interactive Twitter followers (we know her as @LunaRaven13). She calls herself a “Kitchen Witch” and food lover, and often tweets to us about her love for Tillamook. Here’s a little more about Seletta and her fondness for Tillamook…

Q: How long have you been eating Tillamook products? When did your “Loaf Love” for Tillamook begin?
A: The first time I recall eating Tillamook was as a teen as my brother-in-law was from Oregon. I truly fell in loaf love in my 20′s.

Q: What’s your favorite Tillamook product?
A: I adore the Smoked Cheddar, though for sandwiches I also go for the Medium Cheddar. It makes the ideal grilled cheese on seeded bread!

Q: What’s a random fact about you (something most people don’t know about)?
A: I’m a  great singer and lyricist. It’s been way too long since I’ve performed.

Q: Anything else you can share about your love for Tillamook?
A: Yes, that you make a really fine butter! Hard to locate in the Bay Area but so worth the hunt. Tillamook Butter makes baked goods sing!

Thanks to Seletta for being our Fan of the Month (and for being such a super cheesy fan)! Your Fan of the Month Tillamook Cheese gift box is on its way!

By Loafy

Fan of the Month: Joel Widmer

It’s definitely a small world. I actually knew about  Joel, our April Fan of the Month, before I formally “met” him on Twitter. Our Loaf Love Tour  staff met a friendly older couple down in Phoenix a few months ago. They were so sweet and lovely and shared a story with our staff about their grandson who had a 40 lb block of Tillamook Cheese as his wedding grooms cake. A few months later, Joel and I connected on Twitter and he mentioned that he had a giant block of Tillamook at his wedding. Turns out that the couple we met in Phoenix are in fact Joel’s grandparents! Crazy, eh?

Thanks, Joel, for being our Fan of the Month! We’ve loved meeting you and your grandparents… the Tillamook “Loaf Love” sure seems to run in your family!

Q: How long have you been eating Tillamook products? When did your “Loaf Love” for Tillamook begin?
A: I’ve been eating Tillamook Cheese products for all my life! Growing up in Tillamook, our family bought exclusively Tillamook Cheese, Ice Cream, Butter and Milk. When I moved to Nashville 6 years ago, I found a few places that carried the cheese because I couldn’t find anything that compared. And whenever I visit home, I always make sure to stock up!

Q: What’s your favorite Tillamook product?
A: Without a doubt, the Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar! There’s nothing like it.

Q: What’s a random fact about you (something most people don’t know about)?
A: I grew up in a large family with 12 siblings. My parents have a passion for adoption. But I remember going through a couple gallons of milk each week.

Q: Anything else you can share about your love for Tillamook?
A: I loved the Vintage White Cheddar so much I had a 40lb block of it for my grooms cake at my wedding. The guests liked it more than the regular cake! Also, there’s nothing better than going back to Tillamook and going to the Cheese Factory just for the smell of the freshly made waffle cones… One of the best things in the world!

Joel's wedding grooms "cake" - a 40 lb block of Tillamook Cheese!

By Loafy

I first met Hailey right after the holidays when her dad shared an adorable photo of her holding a 5 lb. loaf of Tillamook Medium Cheddar on our Facebook page. The loaf looks bigger than she is! Hailey is only 2 ½ years old and already loves Tillamook Cheese. She may just be our cutest Fan of the Month ever! Look how happy she is shopping for cheese!

Hailey’s dad Josh helped her answer these questions:Q: How long have you been eating Tillamook products?
A: Since she has been able to eat solid food.

Q: What is your favorite Tillamook product?
A: Hailey loves Tillamook Medium Cheddar Cheese.

Q: What is your favorite recipe that uses Tillamook products?
A: Hailey’s favorite recipe is grilled cheese on whole grain bread with tomatoes. Although, she also loves a chunk of cheddar cut right off the loaf.

Q: What is a random fact about you (something most people don’t know about)?
A: A lot of people think Hailey is 4 because she is so tall. She is only 2 ½. Hailey also loves to share Tillamook Cheese with her two dogs, Daisey and Chloe. Although, sometimes the dogs will steal food from her! When this happens, she gets a little upset.

Q: Anything else you can share about your love for Tillamook?
A: Hailey received the 5 pound loaf of Medium Cheddar from her grandma while visiting her in Vancouver, WA during the holidays. I think she’s gotten more enjoyment out of it than any other gift she got for Christmas.

Thanks for being the Tillamook Cheese Fan of the Month, Hailey! I sent a tasty gift box (and a cute little toy!) your way.

By Loafy