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

Me and my cake…Yum!

Have you ever seen a surprised loaf of cheese?

Well, let me tell you, I was about as surprised as they come on February 13 (our official founding day) when I was invited to the Cheese Factory where about 150 of my friends and family (employees and member-owners and their families) gathered for a party to celebrate Tillamook County Creamery Association’s 104^th birthday, and I was the special guest of honor!

We had birthday cake and any flavor of Tillamook Ice Cream a loaf could want! We played games like Beanie Cow Toss, Spin the Wheel, Pick-a-Milk-Bottle, and a family favorite, Bingo!

It’s not every day that a company turns 104, so it was sure nice to stop and recognize the hard work and dedication that everyone at TCCA puts into every product that is sold on store shelves!

One of my good friends having a good time playing Bingo!

My BFF Tillie even stopped by!

Everyone signed a giant birthday card for me, I’m hanging it on my wall!

The cake, it looks just like me!

By Loafy

Looks fancy, tastes delicious. Happy New Year!

Let’s face it; New Year’s is one of the ultimate snacking holidays. You’re surrounded by family and friends, but you’ve already prepared plenty of full meals in the last few months, which means it’s time to keep it simple. All you need for New Year’s are some yummy nibbles to keep your guests satisfied. Need some inspiration? Here’s a roundup of Tillamook recipes that will hit the snacking spot and be the hit of any party:

• Jack Biscuit Bites
• Queso Blanco
• Spinach Artichoke Dip
• Dark Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches
• Pear & Muenster Flatbread
• Oregon Smoked Salmon Sour Cream Dip

Happy (and yummy) New Year’s!

By Laura

Setting the table was always the kid’s chore at my house growing up. Perhaps it was my uncanny love of polishing silver that landed me this very important role during the holidays. While the place settings aren’t what your guests will remember the next day (pressure is on all you turkey roasters and pie bakers), a properly set table is one of the first things your guests will notice, and it will set the tone for a festive meal. Although table settings can vary slightly depending on what you’re serving and the age of your guests, here are some basic rules to follow when preparing for your guests this year.

Rule 1: Place your plates about 2 feet apart (center of plate to center of plate) to make sure your guests have enough elbow room. Make sure the placement of the plates is right before you start laying down the rest of the settings. I like to use metallic chargers to add some extra pizzazz to each place setting.

Rule 2: If you’re serving soup, place the soup bowls on top of each plate.

Rule 3: Place silverware in the order of its use, from the outside in. The utensils you’ll use for the main course should be closest to the plates.

Rule 4: Place forks to the left of the plate, and knives and spoons to the right.

Rule 5: Place the cutting edge of your knives toward the plate for safety and consistency.

Rule 6: Napkins should be to the left of the forks, or under the forks if space is tight on the table.

Rule 7: Place a butter plate above the forks, to the left side of the plate with a butter knife on top.

Rule 8: Dessert silverware should be placed above the plate with the fork handle to the left, and the spoon handle (or knife, depending on what you’re serving) to the right.

Rule 9: Coffee cup and saucer should be on the far right above the knife and spoon(s).

Rule 10: Additional drink cups should follow counter-clockwise as such: White wine glass, red wine glass, water glass. The glasses should be in a line with the largest (water glass) behind the other glasses decreasing in size.

Rule 11: If you have festive napkin rings, tis the season to bring them out. You can also add place cards for a festive (and sometimes strategic) touch to your table.

What festive touches do you like to add to your holiday place settings?

By Amalya

The Loaf Love Tour wrapped up in San Diego this week with one last celebration of cheesy fun. La Jolla Preschool Academy won the #LLT4me Twitter contest, which ended last Thursday night! We had so much fun painting pumpkins, coloring, playing cornhole, dancing, and of course eating Tillamook Cheese and Ice Cream with the kids! What a great way to end another amazing year of the Loaf Love Tour!

Here are some photos of the fun:

The Loaf Love Tour crew was just as excited as these Tillakids for ice cream!!!

I loafed hanging out with the kids at La Jolla Preschool Academy

There were some very talented pumpkin painters in the group, move over Picasso!

Thanks for showing us a fun time, La Jolla Preschoolers!

By Loafy

At your office, at your school, or in your own backyard!!! The Loaf Love Tour wants to celebrate the end of our third annual tasty cheese tour by throwing a party in our last stop, San Diego. The best part is, YOU get to pick the location! So get your friends, family, coworkers, babysitters, teachers, or strangers on the street to tweet @TillamookCheese and tell us your pick for the perfect party spot.

The winner will get a party with Loafy, the Loaf Love Tour buses, pumpkin carving, and games galore for them and up to 50 friends on October 30th!!!

How to enter:
1. Read the official contest rules
2. Tweet @TillamookCheese using the hashtag #LLT4me with your location’s name  and address (must be within a 40 mile radius of downtown San Diego)
3. Enter as many times as you want, retweets count!
4. Winner announced on 10/26
5. Prize: Loaf Love Tour Party on 10/30!

What are you waiting for? Tweet your entries now!!!

By Loafy

A cheese platter is always a classy dish to bring to a party. Not only is cheese delicious and loved by all, but it’s always in season. You can try something new, mix and match flavor profiles and it can convert a party into a tasting experience with different combinations of flavors, textures and sides.

Before you create your cheese platter, check out these useful websites and tips. They will save you time, and make you look like a cheese expert at your next party!

The Perfect Cheese Platter, from Real Simple offers a great rundown on how to build a cheese platter that would impress any guest. Here is a summary of their tips:

Cheese platters should be self-guided. Let guests create their own experience by offering a variety of….

• textures (soft cheese, hard cheeses, blue, etc.)
• flavors (via type of milk used, i.e. cow, goat, sheep)
• sides that can be mixed/matched – sweet, salty, variety of breads, etc.

A few years back Rachel Ray aired a great segment on The Rachel Ray Show that discussed tips and tricks for making a great holiday cheese platter. Click here to watch the full video, but one of the tips that jumped out at me is to start your platter with a cheese that is familiar to your guests before you introduce more exotic cheeses they might not have tried before. Most guests pallets will be familiar with an aged-cheddar, so why not start with something like Tillamook’s Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar (aged naturally for 2 years) or if you would rather have yellow cheddar, check out Tillamook’s Special Reserve Extra Sharp Cheddar (aged naturally for 15 months).

And one final tip….share a few of your favorite recipes that use the cheeses you’re offering alongside your cheese platter to inspire cooking (and future parties!) Guest will enjoy being able to fully experience the flavor and texture of each cheese, and imagine how it would complement the dishes you are suggesting. If you’re offering aged cheddars, considering sharing these recipes from some of Tillamook’s favorite chefs:

• Cheddar Bacon Waffles, made with Tillamook Sharp Cheddar (recipe from Heidi Gibson, The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen in San Francisco, CA)

• The Piglet Sandwich, made with Tillamook Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar (recipe from Heidi Gibson, The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen in San Francisco, CA)

• Mom’s Apple Pie Melt, made with Tillamook Special Reserve Extra Sharp Cheddar (recipe from The Grilled Cheese Truck in Los Angeles, CA)

~ Mary of the Tillamook Team

Photo: marcellathecheesemonger.com (Creative Commons)

By Mary

Wow, what a game! I’m still wound up from all the excitement of game 6, and the Tillamook Beer and Cheese Spread of course!

For the seventh and final recipe, let’s enjoy a hearty Taco Soup – my mom’s recipe deliciously topped with Tillamook Cheese and sour cream.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound lean ground meat (beef or turkey)
1 large onion, chopped
2 cans black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can black eyed peas
2 cans chopped tomatoes
2 cans “rotel” tomatoes
1 bag or box frozen corn
1 envelope taco seasoning mix (add another, if desired)
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
2 cups Tillamook Monterey Jack, shredded
Tillamook Sour Cream, as a topping

PREPARATION

Brown meat and onion together in a soup pot. Add all other ingredients (undrained) to the pot. Simmer until well mixed.

Serve the soup with shredded cheese and/or sour cream on top. Also serve with corn tortilla chips. This dish freezes well if you have leftovers!

Fun baseball fact: Babe Ruth, one of the most famous baseball players, used to place a (cabbage) leaf beneath his cap and change it every two innings. I wonder why he didn’t slice off some BABY Loaf and put that under his hat for good luck?

Well, that concludes our 7-recipe series! In case you want to go back and visit any favorites:

Game 1: Tillamook Seven Layer Dip
Game 2: Shepherd’s Pie topped with Cheddar Mashed Potatoes
Game 3: Tillamook Cheddar Beer Soup
Game 4: Savory Southwest Bread Pudding
Game 5: Tacoritos
Game 6: Tillamook Cheese and Beer Spread
Game 7: Taco Soup (see above)

By Gillian

Is St. Louis losing these games so they can get in a few more home games? Definitely some surprising results so far in this 2011 series.

A pleasant surprise was last game’s Tacoritos with Tillamook Cheddar recipe. YUM!

For tonight’s game, let’s dive into some Tillamook Beer and Cheese Spread (serves 6 to 8)

INGREDIENTS

4 cups Tillamook Special Reserve Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
½ cup gorgonzola or blue cheese, crumbled
12 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish (I put in some extra for a little more kick!)
½ cup white onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon English dry mustard
1 bunch fresh chives, finely chopped
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
3 dashes hot pepper sauce (pick your favorite!)
1 teaspoon salt
several turns of freshly cracked black pepper
½ cup blonde ale
crusty bread (such as sourdough), cut into bite-sized pieces, or assorted crackers

PREPARATION

Place all of the cheeses, horseradish, onion, dry mustard, chopped chives, chili flakes, hot sauce, and salt and pepper into a food processor. Pulse until the mixture becomes fairly smooth. Slowly pour in the beer until incorporated.

Pour the mixture into a suitable serving dish. Cover and refrigerate until needed. Serve with crusty bread and assorted crackers.

Pair this appetizer with some ballpark brats and you’ve got the perfect way to celebrate Game 6!

Fun baseball fact: Nolan Ryan holds the record for longest career in baseball history (1966 to 1993) and he now owns the Texas Rangers!  Our head cheesemaker, Dale Baumgartner, has him beat though – he’s been making Tillamook Cheese for over 40 years! In fact, we even use the same Tillamook Cheddar recipe that’s over 100 years old.

Next and final game: Taco Soup!

By Jala

Wow, Rangers. Way to hang in there. Derek Holland’s pitching perfection was a perfect accompaniment to that Tillamook Savory Southwest Bread Pudding recipe this past weekend.

Looking forward to tonight’s game! Let’s chow down on some Tex-Mex in honor of the last game being played in Texas!

Tacoritos with Tillamook Cheddar (serves 10)

INGREDIENTS

3 cans cream of chicken soup
2 soup cans water
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon sage (optional)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 (7-ounce) can chopped green chiles
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1-2 tablespoons oil
1 package of 8-in flour tortillas
1 cup Tillamook Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded (or lots more!)

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the sauce by blending the first 7 ingredients. Reserve.

Heat oil in a pan, sauté onions and brown meat. Add one quarter of the sauce to the meat and heat through.

Spoon ½ cup of meat mixture into each tortilla. Fold each tortilla like an envelope and place, fold-side down, in greased baking pan.

Pour remaining sauce over tortillas. Top with cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, until cheese is golden and bubbly.

Fun baseball fact: The longest baseball game was between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago White Sox and lasted for eight hours and six minutes. Due to MLB rules forbidding an inning to start after 1 o’clock AM, fans had to come back the next day to finish the game. Fortunately, you have to wait a whole lot longer for Tillamook Cheese. Tillamook Cheddar tastes so good because it is always naturally aged – medium cheddar is aged at least 60 days and the extra sharp cheddars can be aged even up to 3 years!

Next game: Beer and Cheese Spread. Pair with some good ole ballpark hotdogs and you’ve got a meal.

By Gillian