The finalist photos are in! Choosing the finalists was very hard with so many fantastic entries, but we’ve finally narrowed it down to 10 photos.  From May 24–30, vote for your favorite look-alike photo – the pic with the most votes will win a $300 shopping spree in the Tillamook Online Shop! Remember to stop by and cast a new vote every day until May 31 when we’ll announce the winner.

How to vote:
1) “Like” Tillamook on Facebook!
2) Vote for your favorite look-alike photo through the Tillamama & Me tab on Facebook.
3) Remember to vote every day between May 24 and May 30, 2013.

Please see the Official Rules for more details, or contact us with any comments or questions.

By Tillamook

Last Saturday, I spent the day at the San Antonio Zoo celebrating Mother’s Day in true cheesy style! My friendly brand ambassadors helped spread the Tillamook Loaf Love by sharing cheesy samples and taking photos. In honor of Mother’s Day, the first 100 moms who came to the zoo dressed in orange even got in free! Visitors played bingo all across the zoo and shared their photos on Instagram for a chance to win a year’s supply of Tillamook Cheese!

Here are some photos from the Instagram contest and my day at the zoo!

The Loaf Love Tour will be in San Antonio until May 23 giving out samples, coupons, and smiles to everyone they meet – so don’t miss out! Be sure to check out the tour schedule to see if there are stops near you!

I’ll be hanging out on Twitter and Facebook if you want to say hi!

By Loafy

Breakfast in Bed is a classic Mother’s Day move. Don’t fret if your standard pancakes and eggs just won’t cut it this year – I’ve got some delicious ideas. Here’s my top 5 recipes for treating your Tillamama on Mother’s Day this year!

Tri-Berry Parfait with Granola and Tillamook Oregon Strawberry Yogurt
Start the morning off on a berry good note! This super-easy and delicious parfait is the perfect companion to a morning spent lounging in bed. Just top Tillamook Oregon Strawberry Yogurt with strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and your favorite granola. Then lean back and dig in!

Almond Poppy Seed Muffins
If your mom’s got a sweet tooth, these almond poppy seed muffins from the blog Your Cup of Cake are sure to hit the spot. Don’t forget to use Tillamook Butter! Spoiler alert, there’s a delicious almond filling surprise when you bite in the middle.

Cheesy Frittata
Frittata – it’s a brunch classic! A hearty cheesy breakfast chock full of veggies and flavor that will set a great tone on the morning. Be sure to use lots of her favorite Tillamook Cheese!

Mixed Berry Tartlets made with Tillamook Light Lemon Squeeze Yogurt
This recipe comes from the blog Patty’s Food. These beautiful tartlets with Tillamook Light Lemon Squeeze Yogurt mixed into the pastry crème make for a delicious fruity tartlet perfect to treat your Tillamama. Top it off with your mom’s favorite fruit for an extra special breakfast.

Cheddar Bacon Waffles
These waffles from the American Grilled Cheese Kitchen are a dangerous combination of sweet and savory. This is a special treatment we could all get used to!

By Amalya

In the spirit of Mother’s Day, some of the Tillamook Marketing Team wanted to share some of our favorite memories and celebrations of our moms!

Katie
My family isn’t big on gifts, so we celebrate holidays with adventures we think our loved ones will enjoy. This is especially meaningful now that my brother and I live far away from our parents, so we get a chance to catch up and be together. My favorite Mother’s Day was spent walking around the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle with my brother and our Momma Anne. My mom loves animals, and it’s always been one of her favorite outings in the Seattle area. Hearing my mom giggle at the animals, and seeing the little skip in her step as she tells us she is “Sooo happy to see you both!” put the biggest smile on my face and made the 3 hour drive totally worth it.

Amalya
My favorite Mother’s Day memory comes from the years of macaroni picture frames and illegible cards involving a LOT of glitter. I remember back in preschool my class worked for hours to cover old soup cans in fabric and puff paint to make vases. We filled them with purple and pink tulips and presented them to our moms at a very special luncheon that involved a lot of singing. While I couldn’t find that beautiful tin can vase, I did come across another Mother’s Day craft from my days as a professional artist. I love you mom!

Susan
My favorite Mother’s Day memory is the time my brothers and sisters and I decided to make Mom breakfast in bed.  So the six of us – ages 10 and younger – worked hard in the kitchen making scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, pancakes and a cup of tea for her. I think we used every pan, bowl, and utensil we owned. We found a tray in a cabinet, placed everything on it, and my sister went outside and pulled up a daffodil (literally bulb and all) to make the meal pretty. We were so proud of ourselves! Then up the stairs we proceeded with runny eggs, burnt toast, undercooked bacon, no pancakes and a lukewarm cup of tea, most of which ended up on the floor.  It didn’t matter – Mom burst out laughing at the sight of her breakfast, told us it was all great and she even proceeded to eat some. She always made us all six of us feel special in our own way, and we loved her!

Tori
My memory comes from the receiving end of Mother’s Day. This was my son Noah’s Mother’s Day project last year at school. For those who need 1st grade translation, I believe the 3 best things about me at the time were 1) snuggling on the couch 2) going out to dinner 3) spending time together ♥

Matt
Everyone says this about their mom, but my mom was, is and will forever be the best. She and my dad were always there to support myself and my sister – and did it with a purpose. From soccer games, to baseball practice, to choir concerts, my mom didn’t miss anything – even when I’m sure she was exhausted from having to deal with us. She inspired us to be who were we are, regardless of what others think or say. More importantly, she instilled in us a moral compass and level of compassion that has helped guide how we lead our adult lives. As this picture indicates, she also taught me important life lessons like how to properly throw a football while rolling out of the pocket! My mom helped make me the person I am today and I thank her for that every day. I love you everyday mom!

Gillian
For Mother’s Day in elementary school, I made my mother a bouquet of “flowers” out of tissue paper wrapped around the individual cups of egg cartons and then attached them to pipe cleaners. Those poor little flowers are now over 25 years old, but by golly she still has them on her bedside table. The tissue paper has faded and the pipe cleaners have wilted, but the love is still there in each little flower cup.

They looked like this example from Make and Takes.

Will you share your favorite Mother’s Day memory with us!?

By Tillamook

Moms are the best! They take care of us when we’re sick, tuck us into bed at night, give great hugs…sometimes, they’re even our best friends! The best gifts aren’t always the ones that cost the most. Showing mom you care can be easy! You can give your Tillamama a coupon for anything you want! Just print this homemade coupon page and fill in whatever will make your mom smile!

Here are some ideas
• One bedtime story
• Breakfast in bed
• Car washing
• A picnic in the park
• Laundry folding
• One bike ride
• One very long hug
• Sweeping the floor
• One neck massage
• A homemade meal

What will you treat your mom to for Mother’s Day this year!?!

And don’t forget to enter the Tillamama & Me Photo Contest on Facebook!

By Loafy

When life gives you lemons, we say wake up early and surprise Mom with Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes for Mother’s Day! This tangy, sweet and oh-so-satisfying combo of fresh, tart lemons, Tillamook French Vanilla Bean Yogurt, and crunchy poppy seeds is delicious on any given Sunday, but we think it’s particularly yummy as a special Mother’s Day treat.

Lemons are in recipes everywhere these days. And for good reason! They’re bright, tart, and they inspire all kinds of delicious delights (we got our own lemony inspiration here, here, and here). The lemon’s tanginess pairs so perfectly with the slightly sweet, cake-like consistency of these pancakes. Once we made ‘em, we knew they’d make the perfect centerpiece for our Mother’s Day brunch.

Overview
This recipe is simple and easily adaptable. While we made our pancakes from scratch using whole-wheat flour (for a healthy and sweet start to the day!), you can easily swap in all-purpose flour or a pancake mix—just be sure to add the Tillamook French Vanilla Bean Yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest, and poppy seeds! These should be served warm (who could wait for them to cool, anyways!). We love pairing them with a dollop of Tillamook butter, pure maple syrup, and fresh berries on the side.

Ingredients
1½ cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1-2 tablespoon sugar
1 6oz cup Tillamook French Vanilla Bean Yogurt
½ cup skim milk
3 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 large eggs
Poppy seeds (add to your liking)

Preparation
In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. In a medium bowl, mix together Tillamook French Vanilla Bean Yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, milk, and eggs. Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients, mixing until combined. Then stir in poppy seeds.

Heat a lightly greased (we like using Tillamook Butter!) pan or griddle over medium heat. Cook until the pancake starts to bubble and they are golden brown and then flip.

What will you be cooking up for Mother’s Day? Take a pic and let us know @TillamookCheese or post a photo to our Facebook wall!

By Tillamook

From Austin to Dallas to Houston, the Loaf Love Tour has been soaking up as much of Texas as possible! The Texas fun continues on Saturday, May 11 with Loaf Love Tour at the San Antonio Zoo! Stop by to see us between 9am and 5pm to enjoy some cheese samples, play games, and get Tillamook goodies!

The first 100 moms who come to the zoo wearing Tillamook Orange will get in to the zoo for free*! Inside the zoo, there will be sampling cubes of our yummy natural cheeses and bingo cards that you and your family can take around the zoo to find fun animals and Tillamook Cheese! For every bingo spot you find, snap a photo with your Smile Sticks and share it with @Tillamook on Instagram to be entered to win a year’s supply of Tillamook Cheese!

See the official rules here.

I can’t wait to see you at the San Antonio Zoo on Saturday, May 11!!!

*Free entry for the first 100 eligible participants (moms) only. Free entry starting a 9am until limit reached. Participating fans may check-in at the Tillamook Baby Loaf bus located outside the San Antonio Zoo main entrance. To win, moms must be wearing orange. Limit one free entry per person, no monetary value.

By Loafy

Mother’s Day is around the corner, but have no fear! There are plenty of great gifts to treat your Tillamama in the Online Shop!

Don’t forget to enter the Tillamama & Me Look-Alike photo contest on Facebook!

What’ll you treat your Tillamama to!?

By Tillamook

May is for moms and we’re celebrating everything they give us—including their good looks. Send us your best mother-and-child look-alike photo and you could win a $300 shopping spree in the Tillamook Online Shop!

How to Enter:
1) “Like” Tillamook on Facebook!
2) Pose for a snapshot with your son, daughter, mom, or furry friend and show off your matching genes!
3) Upload your photo through the Tillamama & Me tab on Facebook.
4) Make sure to send us your entries between May 1 and May 23, 2013.

Vote for the winner:

After we pick 10 finalists, vote for your favorite look-alike photo from May 24 to May 30. Remember to cast a new vote every day to give your favorite look-alike photo the best chance of winning. The pic with the most votes will win $300 to spend on the Tillamook Online Shop! We’ll announce the winner on May 31, so stay tuned!

Please see the Official Rules for more details, or contact us with any comments or questions.

By Tillamook

Meet Doris and Karen!

As a kid, packaging operator Karen Robitsch remembers coming to the Cheese Factory with her family, being treated to an ice cream cone and heading upstairs to watch her mom, packaging operator Doris Clark, work.

For Doris, who retired in 2000, the 25 years she spent working on the line in packaging hold a lot of wonderful memories.  While it was the good pay and benefits that drew her to the job, it was her co-workers, who were like a tight-knit family, that kept her.

In the late 70’s Tillamook Cheese was still dipped in wax and hand wrapped – very different from how Karen, who has worked here since 2005, works. Technology and advances in packaging materials have led to more automation.

One thing that hasn’t changed is the pride both women feel when talking about their jobs and products we make.  Doris says she was always so proud to work at Tillamook. She would proudly wear her whites into the grocery store after work; “when you are in whites, everyone knew exactly where you worked,” she said.

Karen says she liked telling people she’s from Tillamook, Oregon when she is out of town.  She says people always say “Oh, like the cheese.” And she gets to say “Yes!  That’s where I work!”

The tradition of getting a cone and watching the packaging line run from the windows has now shifted.  It’s Doris who comes in, often with her great-grandchildren, to watch Karen work.

Karen is happy to be following in her mom’s footsteps and thinks that matching her mom’s 25 years on the line is a possibility.  Doris says that “I knew Karen would be happy here. I’m happy for her.”

By Aimee