Today is….wait for it….National Strawberry Picking Day. And since it’s peak strawberry eating season (April – June), these little bursts of natural sweetness make the perfect afterschool or anytime snack. And so to celebrate, we’re hand-picking (pun intended) our top 5 things to dip strawberries into…once they’ve been picked, of course.

1. Tillamook French Vanilla Bean Yogurt – Light and naturally sweet, it’s like they were made for each other!

2. Lemon Curd – Tart, sweet…perfect. If you’re like us and believe everything tastes better with lemon curd, then this is a must try.

3. Peanut Butter – Give your apples a break and try something a little more seasonal with this yummy ode to PB&J.

4. Tillamook Sour Cream + Dark Brown Sugar – For the cheesecake lover in all of us, this is the perfect bite sized treat.

5. Nutella – Few things are simpler or more delicious than this decadent combo of chocolate, hazelnut, and strawberries.

How do you dip? Let us know at Facebook.com/Tillamook or on Twitter @TillamookCheese.

By Tillamook

Every Sunday my family tries to get together to enjoy a leisurely late morning breakfast. I like breakfast and brunch foods that fill the house with mouthwatering scents while cooking. Frittata is a great brunch food because it’s easy to make, looks good, and you can customize it to fit the ingredients you’ve got around the kitchen.

Prep time: 15
Total time: 30
Yield (number of servings): 4

Ingredients
8 eggs
½ yellow onion
5 mushrooms
Olive oil
2 potatoes
½ cup shredded Tillamook Medium Cheddar
Handful of grape tomatoes
Spinach, kale, or fresh basil, just enough for garnish
Fresh parsley
1 pinch of black pepper
1 pinch of salt
Note: You will need a frying pan that can be put into the oven

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Dice onion and place in pan over heat with olive oil. Then slice mushrooms and add to the pan. Sauté onion and mushrooms until onion is transparent. Remove onion and mushroom from pan and set aside.

Beat eggs together and set aside. Arrange thin slices of potato on the bottom of the pan and cook for a few minutes over medium heat. Once cooked, arrange the potatoes to cover the bottom of the pan (this will act like a pie crust when you serve the frittata). Cover with a layer of the mushroom and onion, and then pour beaten eggs evenly over the layer of mushrooms and onions. Cover the eggs with the grated cheese. Garnish with the tomatoes, parsley, basil, salt, and pepper. Bake in oven for 15 minutes. Best if sliced and served right away.

You can make this breakfast frittata using any seasonal vegetables or diced meats you’d like. You can also substitute any tasty Tillamook Cheese for the Medium Cheddar to mix things up!

What will you include in your frittata this weekend!?

By Amalya

Does anyone else have a hard time getting healthy school lunches ready for their kids each week? It’s hard to find the time to prepare lunches kids will eat, let alone lunches that are good for them! Tillamoms and Tilladads are here to help! Fans from all over the country have sent in their quick meal tips and, along with a few of our own, we have compiled our favorites here to you and your Tillakids. We are always looking for more ideas, so send any quick & healthy lunch ideas our way!!

“The best way to get my picky kids to eat a healthy lunch is to pack them a container of lunch meat, Tillamook cheese slices, and crackers. Tons healthier than a Lunchable and I don’t have to feel guilty about feeding it to them! ” – Me Too

“I make mozzarella and apple sandwiches the night before. They are perfect for kid’s lunches and making them the night before allows the flavors time to mingle and get extra yummy!” – Kelly Sanders

“My kids love making things. So, I give them jars of Banana Vanilla Yogurt and then little bags of things they can stir into the yogurt. Some of my kids favorites are cereal, oatmeal, chocolate chips, and fresh fruit.” – The Tillamook Team

“I freeze Light Marionberry Yogurt cups to put in my children’s lunch boxes. They help keep everything cold and by their lunch time, they are thawed enough to eat! My children love it!” – Pamela Summers

“I love making homemade trail mix! You can control how nutritious it is and your kids can have fun making it.” – Amalya Haver

“By the middle of the week, I put a note in their school [lunch] letting them know what fun thing we have planned for the weekend. It makes them happy and gives them something to look forward to.” – Mary Kay Janssen

“I make homemade popcorn on Sunday night. I put it in little baggies that can be added to lunches all week long. The best part is, I add Shredded Italian Blend cheese or other tasty toppings to make each bag a little different.” – The Tillamook Team

By Kelly

Home Entertaining Recipepalooza: We asked some of our favorite bloggers to share a recipe and their tips for home entertaining. This recipe comes from Kristi Reddell, founder and editor of the blog Moms Confession. Moms Confession is a Houston, Texas mom blog dedicated to sharing family recipes, easy household tips, and tutorials for all moms, as well as featuring great products and giveaways!

Tillamook Pepper Jack Macaroni & Cheese

Overview
Enjoy a family favorite with a twist that’s not only loaded with delicious flavor, but also packs a small Pepper Jack punch. Mac-N-Cheese is always #1 on the kids list so this recipe not only lets the kids enjoy it, but also gives it an adult twist!

Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Yield (number of servings): 6

Ingredients
3 tablespoons Tillamook Salted Butter
⅛ cup Tillamook Fat Free Sour Cream
1 cup Tillamook Pepper Jack Cheese, shredded
⅛  cup milk
2 cups macaroni noodles
4 cups water

Preparation
In a pot, heat on high until water begins to boil. Add macaroni noodles and cook for 8-10 minutes. When noodles have completely cooked, remove from heat and drain off excess water.

Once water has been drained, add Tillamook salted butter, sour cream, Pepper Jack cheese, and milk to noodles, and stir well. Serve and enjoy!

About Kristi:
Tips for stress-free home entertaining:
“Live in the moment and don’t sweat the small stuff!  Life is too short to worry, so just enjoy what you are given and the party will be a success!”

Kitchen advice for other moms and dads:
“Let the kids help! They love to be in the kitchen so let them help plan the party and even cook some of the recipes. Keep the menu simple enough to allow for kids to get in the action!”

Follow Kristi and her blog online:
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Pinterest

By Tillamook

Home Entertaining Recipepalooza: We asked some of our favorite bloggers to share a recipe and their tips for home entertaining. This recipe comes from Megan Myers, copyeditor and spatula-wielding mom seeking out the simpler life in Texas. Her blog, Stetted, focuses on her family’s experience of cooking from scratch while exploring the many options farmers provide.

Tillamook Jack Biscuit Bites Recipe

Overview
These bite-size biscuit sandwiches have a kick from Tillamook Pepper Jack Cheese, and they come together quickly for any last-minute appetizer plate. I love this recipe because you can put whatever you want inside the biscuits, from leftovers to cold cuts. That way you can just use what you have in your fridge instead of needing to run out to the store for more ingredients! Plus, the Tillamook Pepper Jack adds a nice kick to the flaky biscuit bites.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Yield (number of servings): about 28

Ingredients
2 cups self-rising flour
2 ounces Tillamook Unsalted Butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1 cup shredded Tillamook Pepper Jack Cheese
⅔ cup whole milk
4-5 slices of leftover roast beef, cooked chicken breast, or more Tillamook Pepper Jack Cheese, quartered

Preparation
Preheat oven to 425°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, cut butter into flour using your fingers or a pastry cutter, until the butter is evenly distributed and the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Mix in shredded cheese!

Add milk a little bit at a time and mix carefully. You don’t want the dough to be too wet! Stir until the dough holds together, and then dump out onto a flour-covered surface.

Pat dough into a large circle about 1/2-inch thick. Cut out biscuits using a 1/2-inch round cutter and place biscuits on prepared baking sheet. Re-form dough scraps and cut biscuits until all dough is used.

Bake for approximately 10 minutes, until golden brown.

Let cool until easy to handle, then split biscuits and add a piece of desired filling, then sandwich and secure with a toothpick. Repeat until all biscuits are stuffed. Serve warm or at room temperature.

About Megan
Tips for stress-free home entertaining:
“My secret to keeping home entertaining fun and stress free is to not take on more than you can handle. Shortcuts like making food in advance and serving less food overall will not only reduce your stress load, but will make the event more fun. Who wants to be cooped up in the kitchen during a party?!”

Kitchen advice for other moms and dads:
“In our house we let our son be involved in the party setup. He’s young, but he can fold napkins, arrange fruit, and slice cheese. He loves feeling like he is a grownup by being included, and we love the extra help!”

Follow Megan and her blog online:
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest

By Tillamook