Holiday Maker Gift Guide

Tillamook Farm-Owned Co-Op

This time of year is so magical and finding the perfect gifts to show your love, gratitude and appreciation is high on the list. I'm thrilled to be partnering with Tillamook this holiday season to honor different makers that have devoted their lives to honing their crafts and bringing us unique products.

For me, entertaining is the brightest part of the season and knowing that Tillamook Maker's Reserve Aged Cheddars can be the highlight of my cheese boards and meals gives me all the good vibes. Tillamook is an 111-year-old farmer-owned dairy cooperative and has always strived to create high-quality foods with easy to read ingredients that consistently taste good!

Tillamook Maker’s Reserve Aged Cheddars

Quality is never an accident. It is always the result of intelligent effort.

John Ruskin

Cheese making is a science and no one knows that better than the pioneering Tillamook cheesemaker Dale Baumgartner. He began making cheddar in cheesecloth, hand waxing and wrapping in blocks of heavy brown paper back in the 1960s. What he found is over time, decades, those cheeses became better, much better. Now, a team of tasters and 100 years of experience behind Tillamook have created the most delectable aged cheddars. From 3-year, 4-year, 5-year, 6-year, 7-year and even 10-year aged varieties.

This holiday season share the gift of exceptional quality and remarkable cheese with Tillamook Maker's Reserve Aged Cheddars. I'm sharing 3 delightful cheeses with you in these fun gift baskets including a 5-year, 4-year and 3-year reserve.

Maker's Reserve 2015 Extra Sharp White Cheddar:
A complex cheddar with sweet notes, citrusy undertones that is also nutty. Crumbly and dry - smooth, creamy and velvety on your palette. A perfect cheese to add to any cheese board with rich winter fruits like citrus, pomegranates and persimmons.

Maker's Reserve 2016 Extra Sharp White Cheddar:
A classic cheddar flavor which holds some sweet notes and umami. A creamy but dry cheese that is easy to enjoy anytime. Enjoy on a classic board or top a baked potato with this special cheese.

Maker's Reserve 2017 Extra Sharp White Cheddar:
The perfect summer cheese, bright, sweet and a slight nutty flavor draws our palette to crave more. It's creamy and irresistible!
Enjoy with strawberries, almonds, olives and even a drizzle of honey.

Each year of aging brings to light each cheese with their own special characteristics and flavor. Enjoy them all - you won't be disappointed!! You can click here to find out where you can purchase all of Tillamook Maker's Reserve Cheeses near you.

Holiday Gift Giving

Tillamook knows the hardwork and dedication that goes into honing a craft. To celebrate I'm sharing an array of local artisans with products that are made with care, thoughtfulness and ultimately a pleasure to please people. I want to support my favorite makers and artisans who have devoted their life to the craft. With Tillamook residing in my home state of Oregon, you'll find the selection of products below mainly locally sourced from Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. Products are hand chosen and have an array of locally owned, small business, BIPOC and female-owned businesses and all go great with Tillamook Maker's Reserve Aged Cheddars.

Enter to Win!

These gift baskets highlight Tillamook Maker's Reserve Aged Cheddars and local products that I love! You can win these gift baskets by entering on my Instagram page today!! Keep the goodies for yourself or share with your family and friends this holiday season.

You can find out all about the various makers and artisans that each have a part in these gift baskets. I hope you find joy in supporting local businesses this holiday season and be sure to check out where to you can pick up my favorite Tillamook Maker’s Reserve Aged Cheddars near you.

More About the Makers

Notary Ceramics - Sarah Van Raden is the creator of beautiful handmade and unique ceramics. Soft colors but practical dishware you can be proud to display in your kitchen. You can find Sarah here in Portland, OR in her studio in Sellwood.

Sunbreak Handmade Goods - Meet Susan and Abbey the founders of Sunbreak Handmade Goods - luxury Pendleton wool (also local to Oregon) bags made right here in Portland, OR. It was love at first sight when Susan made a bag for Abbey's birthday and the rest is history!

Gatherwise - Melissa Fuller is an esthetician and herbalist that has taken her skills to create beautiful and nature skincare products. All products are made directly at her farm just on the outskirts of Portland.

Garnish - Erica Lurie is the founder and visionary behind all the beautiful designs at Garnish. Every step of the process of creating her pieces begins here in Portland. When Covid struck, Erica focused her attention on making masks. She continues to work designing beautiful clothing and beautiful masks.

Marshall's Haute Sauce - Sarah Marshall started Marshall’s Haute Sauce from her home kitchen. Her love for canning and preserving local ingredients lead to a beautiful and tasty product line.

Ground Up - Ground Up is a not-just-for-profit business that provides job training to women overcoming adversity in the Portland area. Found in 2016 by Julie and Carolyn, they had a vision and a product that was centered around social impact.

Deadstock Coffee Roasters - Ian Williams worked his way up from janitor to shoe designer at Nike, then left it all to start his dream cafe: Deadstock Coffee, a hub of Portland design talent and cultural force located in the city's Old Town district. Self-described as “snob-free coffee,” a single guiding mantra drives Deadstock: “Coffee Should Be Dope.” - quote from Sprudge.com

Moonstruck Chocolate - Sarah A Bany, daughter of icon Gert Boyle - owner of Columbia Sportswear is the founder and co-owner of Moonstruck chocolate. Speciality chocolate made with ethically-sourced chocolate and elevated with fresh local ingredients, hand-crafted specialty chocolates are a labor of love. Moonstruck is made locally in St. Johns in North Portland.

Cloudforest Chocolate - Native Ecuadorian Sebastian Cisneros arrived in Oregon as a teenage exchange student. Lucky for us, he stuck around, founding Cloudforest in 2018.

One Stripe Chai Co. - A tag team duo, Joshua and Farah tell their story on beginning their journey to the perfect Chai. Joshua tinkering until the perfect blend arose and Farah taste testing the brew as Joshua perfected it, the idea of One Stripe Chai Co. fell into their laps randomly and serendipitously, the way most great things tend to fall into laps.  

Fernhill Studio - Their Belgian linen combines a rare blending of superior comfort, rich color absorption, and a durability that allows our products to become better and softer with age. Based in Portland, Oregon, their team reflects the vibrancy of the city with a global approach to design.

Aesthete Tea - Aesthete Tea is a Woman, QBIPOC owned organic loose leaf tea and herbal blend brand, based in Portland, Oregon. Founded by Briana Thornton in 2017, Aesthete Tea maintains a strong commitment to know their farmers and source only the highest quality ingredients from individuals and collectives that share the same values in quality, ethics and health.

Homestead + House - The philosophy at Homestead + House, they believe in home goods that bring function as well as beauty into your space. Local Portland, OR goods, women owned.

Mama Lil's - Mama Lil's Hungarian Goathorn Peppers are grown and pickled in the Pacific Northwest's Yakima Valley! And yes, there really was a Mama Lil. Her uniquely delicious spin on authentic Italian pickled peppers is unmatched. Lil's pepper making began in a neighborhood rich in the food and culture of European immigrants.

Just Date Syrup - Sylvie’s lifelong passion for food and healing was planted at a young age in her family kitchen, where she shared nourishing, Indian meals steeped in healing, Ayurvedic tradition. After pursuing your career as an MD, her passion continued and later founded Just Date Syrup, a better sugar.

Nora's Kitchen Granola - Nora’s Kitchen Granola is hand-crafted and produced in a certified licensed gluten-free commercial kitchen in SE Portland, Oregon at Gluten Free Concepts. It is slow-roasted in small batch production to bring out the unique flavor of healthy oils, nuts, grains and spices.

Lindsoe Clayworks - From her studio in Oregon's scenic Cascade Mountains, Dulcie Lindsoe-Johansen creates an outstanding line of functional stoneware as well as unique handbill sculptures. With Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees, Dulcie has been producing and selling her work throughout the Pacific Northwest and Alaska since the early 1980's.

A Holiday Prize

Enter to win ALL these goodies including Tillamook Maker's Reserve Aged Cheddars. So many wonderful gifts to share this holiday season, or treat yourself. Head to my Instagram page and follow the rules to enter and win! Offer open to US residents, must be 18 or older.

The post is sponsored by Tillamook, all opinions and ideas are my own.