Tillamook scoops up ice cream to support the local 4-H programs

It’s Tillamook County Fair time! In Tillamook, it’s a time for pronto pups, ice cream cones, exhibits, horse races, Pig-n-Ford races, and thrills on the midway. It’s also time to enjoy a Tillamook Ice Cream cone and support the local 4-H programs while doing so.

TCCA and the local 4-H have been scooping together since 2010. Farmer-owners and employees, alongside 4-H leaders, parents, and students, staff the Tillamook Ice Cream booth together. The proceeds are used to help fund individual programs and provide scholarships. Over the past two years, TCCA has donated approximately $22,500 directly to the 4-H program. And this year, we are hoping to do better than ever. After you have a scoop of ice cream, be sure to check out the bovine beauties in the dairy barn. It is their hard work, after all, that goes into making our deliciously creamy Tillamook Ice Cream.

By Chandra

I’m a lucky lady! It’s my job to think about tasty ways to use Tillamook Ice Cream in the kitchen. With the Olympics on my mind, I can’t help but be inspired by English food. I found myself staring at my freezer full of Tillamook Ice Cream and a light bulb went off…well two lightbulbs to be exact.

Lightbulb number 1: It’s been years since I’ve had an English trifle and it was time to change this fact. I wanted to put a milkshake twist on things so I grabbed my Oregon Strawberry Ice Cream out of the fridge and got to blending

Ingredients
3 scoops Tillamook Oregon Strawberry Ice Cream
2 tablespoons Sherry
4 lady finger cookies
1 handful mixed fresh berries
½ cup milk

Directions
Combine all the ingredients in a blender and mix. It tastes absolutely decadent but it lacks the custard flavor that a classic English trifle is known for. My solution: substitute the Oregon Strawberry Ice Cream for French Vanilla. French Vanilla is known for it’s custardly smoothness so it’s bound to be a good option.

Lightbulb number 2: A friend of mine always orders a London Fog when we go to coffee shops. For those of you not hip to fancy tea orders, that’s Earl Grey tea with vanilla and warm milk. Trust me, it’s tasty. So what would be even tastier? London Fog in milkshake form, of course.

Ingredients
1 cup sugar
4 Earl Grey tea bags
2 cups water
3 scoops Tillamook Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
¼ cup milk

Directions
In a sauce pan over high heat add the sugar, tea bags, and water. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Discard tea bags and place the mixture in the fridge to cool. Once the tea is cool, add 1/3 cup of tea mixture to the blender along with the Tillamook Ice Cream and milk. Blend. Try not to eat all in one big gulp.

I found that last direction hard to follow. I drank mine rather quickly and then found myself using my finger to get every last drop out of my glass. It’s not something I’m proud of, but I dare you not to do it! It’s impossible :)

By Kelly

On summer days like these, I find myself craving ice cream all the time. I’ve always been a sucker for a good ice cream cake, but with these hot summer evenings (and with no A/C) I couldn’t bear to heat up the oven – even to celebrate National Ice Cream Month. In that spirit, I decided it was time to find a low-maintenance, high-yumminess ice cream cake. This no-bake ice cream cake fits the bill perfectly.

Ingredients
12 ounces vanilla wafers or graham crackers, crushed
1 cup Tillamook Butter, melted
½ cup white sugar
1.75 quart Tillamook Udderly Chocolate Ice Cream
½ cup milk
7 ounces (usually 2 packages) instant chocolate pudding mix

Directions
To make crust, combine crackers, butter, and sugar in a bowl. Press mixture into bottom and sides of a 9”x13” baking dish.

In a separate bowl, mix ice cream and milk. Blend in pudding mix, then pour mixture into prepared crust. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving. If desired, top with whipped cream or chocolate shavings when hardened.

I love how this recipe can be customized to include whatever I’m craving that day! I think my next combination will be graham crackers, Oregon Strawberry Ice Cream, and banana pudding, topped with fresh strawberries – yum!

By Katie

With so many tasty flavors of delicious Tillamook Ice Cream, there’s a flavor for everyone! Does Espresso Mocha describe your peppy personality? Are you warm and lovable like Grandma’s Cake Batter? Maybe you’re classic and sophisticated like French Vanilla. Or do the nutty almonds in Rocky Road describe your kooky side? I want to know, what’s your flavor? Tell me what flavor best describes who you are and why. There’s a creamy, dreamy flavor with your name on it! I just know it!

By Loafy

Photo: Guzzle & Nosh/Flickr

The classic combination of cold, tasty ice cream and hot fudge is pretty decadent. Add a cherry on top and you just seal the deal! So when it’s time to host a summer party you can’t go wrong with an ice cream sundae bar. Your guests get to make it exactly how they like it with their own sundae toppings, and everyone has a good time in the process. That sounds like a win-win to me!

So how do you surprise your guests with something they aren’t expecting? It’s all in the sundae toppings. Sure, you’ll want the classic Tillamook Ice Cream, hot fudge, nuts, whipped cream, and loads of cherries – but what about these other ideas:

- Bacon flakes – These days it’s fashionable to put bacon on everything, but let’s face it, it’s delicious!
- Chocolate-covered espresso beans – It’s the sundae version of an Italian affogato.
- Toasted coconut – There’s something nice about adding in a little crunch with a tropical twist.
- Meringue bites – They’re simple because you can buy them at the store but everyone will think you have the fanciest sundae bar in town.
- Pretzels – Something salty with something sweet. It’s a combination that just plain works.
- Salt and caramel – Like bacon, it’s on every dessert menu these days for a reason. It just makes you want to say “yum!”
- Cinnamon and chili – These two spices are perfect with chocolate and will add a kick no one is expecting.

This is just a list of some of my ideas on how to make a sundae bar like no one has seen before. What are some of the craziest sundae toppings you’ve tried?

By Kelly

Chocolaty Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream

During our time in Boise we’ve experienced 100 degree weather almost every day. There are few things I enjoy doing when the weather is this warm, as I am more of a cold weather person. I believe the warm season is meant for days at the river, baseball games, and scouting for the coming hunting season. Now, I’ve tried many remedies, but I’ve found that the best way to bring down my body temperature after these hot days is with a scoop or two of my favorite ice cream. There’s nothing better than walking into your air conditioned house (or hotel while on the road!) and going straight for the freezer. You hang your head in there for a minute, trying to cool off before you reach for the tub of Tillamook Chocolaty Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream. This is my flavor of choice, but any others will do just fine. The smooth cookie dough flavored ice cream with chunks of cookie dough and chocolate chips is what really does it for me, especially on these scorching days. And that’s not to say I can’t enjoy this treat any time of the year though. Come Sundays during football season, I hunker down on the couch with take out food and my favorite tub of ice cream. My only addition once the warm weather breaks is adding hot fudge to my ice cream – now that is a treat!

With this being my third year on the Loaf Love Tour, I have been to the Tillamook Cheese Factory more than a few times, and tried several flavors of Tillamook Ice Cream. But I have yet to try the Tillamook Ice Cream Adventure, a full on giant sundae with a scoop of every flavor. They offer this at the Cheese Factory, and with all the times I’ve gone, there hasn’t been an opportunity to experience it yet. And this isn’t just a bowl of ice cream. It’s every flavor Tillamook makes. It’s like Super Bowl Sunday, opening day of hunting season, and Christmas morning all happening on the same day. It will be epic. This great sundae is like the one that got away from me. Some would call it my “Great White Buffalo”… But someday, I am determined to accomplish this sundae – whether I have to go at it alone or with a group, it will happen. Until then, I can dream about it, right?

By Alberto

Strawberry Balsamic Milkshake

Interesting ice cream flavors are hot right now. Every time I go out to an ice cream shop I am amazed that there’s a new, creative flavor that I’ve never heard of. So, I asked myself, how would Tillamook Ice Cream hold up to some creative flavors? Making milkshakes seemed the natural test.

Lemon Ginger Milkshake
For this one I shredded some fresh ginger and squeezed some fresh lemon into Tillamook Old-Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream (and added milk of course) and blended it together. Although it didn’t turn out exactly as I was hoping, the lemon and ginger did go well with Tillamook Ice Cream. The vanilla and ginger didn’t mix together quite as well as I had hoped, so next time I make this (yes, there will be a next time), I am going to try a fruity flavor to pair with the ginger, like Oregon Strawberry.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Milkshake
For this milkshake I used Oregon Strawberry Ice Cream as the base. I then added about ¼ cup of peanut butter, a few tablespoons of strawberry jam, and some milk before blending. I am not a huge peanut butter person, and this was probably the best shake I made. All of the flavors went together surprising well and I couldn’t stop sipping on this one. Using a vanilla Tillamook Ice Cream as the base ice cream flavor would also work very well.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Milkshake

Strawberry Balsamic Milkshake
This one sounds weird, right? Don’t judge a milkshake by its name! It was delicious. Only warning: add balsamic vinegar to Tillamook Oregon Strawberry Ice Cream and some milk a little bit at a time. The reason it was so delicious is that there was just a hint of vinegar in every sip.

Salted Caramel Milkshake
This is probably one of the biggest trends in food right now. There’s a salted caramel flavor for anything that you can put salted caramel on. I used Old-Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream as the base and added some caramel and sea salt. I used a fudge caramel topping and I highly advise using a sauce that’s a bit thinner and will blend with cold ice cream better. Also, a little sea salt goes a long way. My first attempt and making this was way too salty to enjoy, but if you use less you’ll slurp it up in a heartbeat.

The Peanut Butter & Jelly milkshake was my favorite out of all of these to make at home, but they all held up very well and I cannot wait to get back into the kitchen to try some more.

Other creative ideas that my stomach didn’t have the room to try (even thought I really wanted to!):
Lemon, Lavender & Honey
Bacon & Maple
Chocolate Raspberry Mocha
Avocado Sea Salt

Gosh, we might have to do another Tillamook Milkshake Test Kitchen! What other creative flavors should we try?

By Laura

Banana Split Ice Cream

National Ice Cream Day (July 15th) is a big day here at Tillamook! The Cheese Factory knows how to celebrate with games, prizes, and a special Mint Chip Fudge Sundae, complete with fudge on the side!

For those of us that can’t get to Tillamook, Oregon for the festivities, we have to dream big to find the right way to celebrate. I can’t think of anything bigger and better than one giant banana split. So, this Sunday, gather all the kids or kids-at-heart you know, and head outside. The outdoors is critical because who has room in their house for a 10 foot banana split?

Stock up on a few bananas, some cherries, hot fudge and your favorite Tillamook Ice Cream. I recommend Oregon Strawberry, Old Fashioned Vanilla, and Banana Split. Then follow these instructions at Oh Happy Day and poof, you’ve got the perfect way to celebrate this very important day!

If a food fight ensues, send pictures!

By Kelly

On the Loaf Love Tour, there’s always enough cheese around to keep our cheddar cravings at bay. However, until now, our taste buds have really been missing that delicious creaminess that only Tillamook Ice Cream can satisfy.  As July quickly approached (man, time flies when you’re on the road!) our mouths were watering more day by day, in anticipation of our arrival to Salt Lake City…otherwise known as The First City On Tour That Has Tillamook Ice Cream!!! Oh, the pride and joy I felt when we arrived at our very first Utah store and I saw Harmons’ fully-stocked freezer with all of my favorite flavors. They even had all three vanillas! “Yes,” I said to my partner, Noelle, “Utah will be just fine!”

In an effort to kick off Utah with a sweet and creamy celebration, I decided to surprise the crew with a carton of our ever-anticipated ice cream. All throughout the afternoon I agonized over the best way to get the ice cream safely from the store to our new hotel (nearly an hour away) in the sweltering heat. With some master ice-maneuvering, I was confident I could get the sweet spoonfuls of deliciousness safely into my fellow brand ambassadors mouths. Though we all have our own favorite flavor for our own special reason, I eventually decided to take Marrionberry Pie home. Marrionberry Pie is known to be Cheddar Coy’s all-time favorite, so I knew that he would be especially thrilled by the surprise!

As I checked into the hotel room that I would call home for the next three weeks, I realized something horrible: NO FREEZER!!! I frantically sent out a mass text to the crew to come to my room ASAP for a special surprise. Whether they saw me carrying the carton into the hotel or smelled the pie chunks through my text message, there was a knock on my door within seconds of pressing “send.” After no time at all, the entire carton of our precious Tillamook Ice Cream was gone. Plastic spoons were strewn about my room, melty drips of ice cream had made it onto my bed, and every one of us had sticky hands, smiling faces, and happy tummies! My surprise was a success. I can only hope that Tillamook Ice Cream for dinner becomes a regular thing on tour. Which flavor shall we dine on next week?!

Until next time!

TillaMaya

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By Maya

When the subject of ice cream comes up, it is directed my way. I have the sweet tooth of the tour, and share my love of sweets with everyone else while on the road.

I blame my family for my addiction to Tillamook Ice Cream. When our freezer is stocked with ice cream, we don’t know how to have just one scoop. Every time we treat ourselves, we really go for it. I’m talkin’ at least three scoops at once, and that’s not even a challenge. It’s so bad in fact, that when my Dad met my sister’s boyfriend for the first time and he offered my Dad the smallest container of ice cream ever made (thimble-sized), he assumed it was a joke, because who would only want a thimble-sized container of ice cream? We had to teach him the family ways so my Dad could give his official approval of the boyfriend.

I have to give credit to my sister for introducing me to my favorite ice cream of all time (and I mean that literally because when I told her I was writing this she demanded to be acknowledged as the first person that showed me Tillamook Ice Cream). We all know that everyone has something that their mother or grandma makes better than anyone else in the world. There’s that one meal or dessert than no one does better, and therefore you are spoiled with this one item to the point that you won’t eat it unless your grandma made is especially for you. For me, it’s my grandma’s pie. And not just any pie. Fresh baked buttery crust that flakes apart as you eat it, pie filled with plump Marionberries fresh off the vine. That is the pie. So naturally, when my sister pulled Tillamook Marionberry Pie Ice Cream from her freezer, it was like the heavens opened up and the ice cream gods told me they loved me. The light from the freezer reflected off the crystals in such a beautiful way (sparkly vampires had nothing on this), I had to literally stop and take in the moment. This ice cream is the best of both worlds. It’s like my grandmas Marionberry pie had babies with the smoothest ice cream ever made. From the vanilla ice cream to the berries, and finally: real pie crust. It truly is like little angels dancing on my tongue. When’s the last time you had something that made you think that? As Dandy Andy would say, “it’s like a mouthful of awesome!”.

And of course there are other Tillamook Ice Cream flavors that will make you squeal with delight. April Focheezy swears by the Tillamook Mint Chocolate Chip because of its “huge chocolate chunks!” NoelleLLT says that Tillamook Grandma’s Cake Batter
is amazing because “it really is like cake and ice cream in the same bite!” Peppercorny Pakou likes the rich and yummy combination of two of her favorite flavors with Tillamook Chocolate Peanut Butter. Regardless of whether you prefer chocolate to caramel or Huckleberry to Marionberry, you are sure to find a Tillamook Ice Cream that will have you jumping for joy during this summer season.

Smiley Kylie :)

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By Kylie