SELAH, Wash. (May 16, 2012) – Memorial Day weekend brings with it many things missed during those long winter months – the warmth of the sun, long sought-after camping adventures and of course, the aroma coming from the barbecue. For those looking to up their grilling game this summer, Tree Top has teamed with the WETSU BBQ Crew to bring the tips that turn average barbecue into bona fide grilling success.

“Barbecue is the food you’ve prepared and its relationship with the flame,” said grilling expert and WETSU captain Doc Hawkins, “But what separates good grill from the mouth-watering are the techniques used before, after and during the grilling process.”

If you’re strictly a seasonal griller, it’s time to start thinking about unearthing your outdoor cooking equipment from winter storage.  It can be tempting to fire up immediately and slap some meat on the grates, but a few quick maintenance tasks will make sure your grill cooks just as well as did the year before.

Prep the Grill:
While considered a best practice to clean the grill after each use, most barbecuers likely pushed their grill into the garage for the winter right after Labor Day and haven’t looked back, allowing dust and cob webs to collect during the winter months. Always take time to do a quick clean before firing up your grill for the first time. Not doing so will cause the winter accumulation to burn off during your first cook and add “off” flavors to your food. 

Prep the Meat:
To ensure your meat (or whatever you may be grilling) is flavorful and moist, it’s important to prepare all foods before they hit the grill. Sure, store bought marinades are perfectly tasty, but they do not hold a flame to a delicious homemade rub. The best part about most of the rubs used by the BBQ Addicts is that they require few ingredients, many of which you may already have at home, like apple juice, pepper and cayenne.

“Apple juice is one of the most popular ingredients in the grilling preparation process. Its natural flavor, combined with those of pork, brisket or chicken, both seasons and moistens the meat,” said Hawkins.

To increase moisture and flavor, Hawkins recommends adding Tree Top’s apple juice and apple sauce, both made with 100 percent USA apples, to traditional barbecue sauce recipes. For the advanced griller, consider injecting apple juice into larger cuts of meat.

Time to Grill:
Now that you’re ready to turn up the heat, it’s important to know what kind of heat you are dealing with and how to use it. If you are grilling with direct heat, such as charcoal or fire, thin cuts of meat are ideal as they will cook quickly and evenly over the 450-650 degree heat. This type of heat is good for hot dogs, chicken and steak (again, thinly cut), fish and pork chops.

If using a gas grill, all burners should be used and set no lower than medium heat after the grill is preheated. Cook the food with the hood down to ensure even doneness and check the food periodically to avoid overcooking. Use tongs or a spatula to turn the food. Avoid using a fork as this can cause juices to escape from the meat. Gas is great for all kinds of food, but nothing is better than a juicy hamburger.

For more information about the Tree Top cooking recommendations, visit www.treetop.com.

About Tree Top
Since 1960, Tree Top has provided premium, quality juices, fruit based products and ingredients to consumers and most of the world’s leading manufactures.  The grower-owned cooperative operates eight processing facilities in the heart of Washington’s apple country, Oregon and California. With more than 1,100 growers, the co-op creates the widest array of fruit-based products and ingredients available on the market.  Tree Top’s passion and attention to quality and craftsmanship makes it the first choice for customers.  For more information, visit www.treetop.com.

Additionally, Wendy left behind a crisis communication tip sheet, and we thought it was worth sharing.

Is your company prepared for a crisis?

PORTLAND, ORE./NEW YORK — May 17, 2012 — LANE PR, an independently owned, national public relations agency, has won a Silver Sabre Award for Best Media Placement (Digital)  for its placement of Moonstruck Chocolate’s single-origin chocolate bar in Urbandaddy.com. The well-targeted digital placement drove an 868 percent increase in Moonstruck’s website traffic, thousands of dollars in online sales, and hundreds of e-mail sign-ups in just one day.

LANE PR’s media relations outreach strategy also resulted in Moonstruck Chocolates receiving Dr. Oz’s seal of approval as well as accolades from Good Morning America, The New York Times, Tasting Table, Daily Candy and Food Network Magazine. 

The Sabre Awards is one of the world’s largest and most prestigious PR competitions, awarding campaigns that best demonstrate the highest level of strategic planning, creativity and business results. There were more than 1,800 entries overall, of which only about 20 percent were finalists.

“When launching a new product, it’s imperative to have a clear strategy and target the right audience,” said Angie Galimanis, vice president of LANE PR. “LANE PR’s focus, tenacity and strong media relations expertise helped us place the single-origin bar in numerous top-tier media outlets, resulting in strong sales for Moonstruck Chocolates.”

Additionally, LANE PR has been ranked 75th among 580 independent PR firms in the U.S. by O’Dwyer’s for 2011. O’Dwyer’s provides inside news on public relations and marketing communications to industry professionals. Rankings are based on net fees for 2011 of top independent PR firms worldwide with major U.S. operations.

About LANE PR

LANE PR is a national, independent firm specializing in business-driven communications strategies with offices in New York and Portland, Ore. Founded in 1990, LANE PR provides integrated public relations, social media, crisis communications and investor relations services for clients in a host of industries, including financial services, consumer, food and beverage, and technology. The agency has won several awards during its 20 years, including the 2009 PR Week Young PR Professional of the Year, the 2008 PRSA Bronze Anvil Award for outstanding public relations tactics, the 2008 Gold Bulldog Award for excellence in media relations and the 2010 Bronze Bulldog Award for best new product launch. For more information about LANE PR, visit www.lanepr.com. Connect with LANE PR on Twitter at Twitter.com/LANEPR and LinkedIn at LinkedIn.com/company/lane-pr.

• Whereas, May marks the annual Celiac Awareness Month, recognized by most celiac organizations and research centers across the country and throughout the world;
• Celiac disease is one of the most common chronic diseases in Western countries;
• According to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, more than 3 million Americans have celiac disease and must monitor gluten intake, equating to 1 in 133 Americans;
• More than 95% of Celiacs are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with other conditions;
• A 100% gluten-free diet is the only existing treatment for celiac disease today as there are no pharmaceutical cures;
• Portland, Ore., home to nearly 50 craft breweries, where the people of Portland know and appreciate great craft beers, is leading the effort to create gluten-free beer for those affected with gluten sensitivities;
• The City of Portland acknowledges and applauds the efforts to declare this day in celebration of local breweries that are doing their part to bring awareness to a disease that affects many, and providing beer products specially crafted to be gluten-free for all to enjoy;
• Now, therefore, I, Sam Adams, Mayor of the City of Portland, Oregon, the “City of Roses,” do hereby proclaim May 16, 2012 to be Gluten-Free Beer Day in Portland, and encourage all residents to observe this day.

About Omission Beer
Omission Beer is a new brand of gluten-free craft beers, available only in Oregon. Brewed by Widmer Brothers Brewing in Portland, Ore., Omission is the first craft beer brand in the United States focused exclusively on brewing great tasting craft beers with traditional beer ingredients, including malted barley, that are specially crafted to be gluten-free. Each batch of Omission Beer is tested using the R5 Competitive ELISA test, to ensure that every batch contains well-below the international standard for gluten-free of 20 ppm gluten. Drinking is believing. 

About Deschutes Brewery
Deschutes Brewery jumped into the gluten-free brewing scene back in 2007 and always has a gluten-free beer on tap at both its Bend and Portland pubs. After brewing 48 different batches, the goal remains to brew a great beer that is gluten-free, rather than brewing a great gluten-free beer. Although a silver and a bronze medal from the Great American Beer Festival hang on the pub walls from their process, Deschutes Brewery continues to work with different styles to serve the gluten-free world.

About Harvester Brewing
Harvester Brewing is the nation’s only dedicated gluten-free craft brewery, founded in 2011 in Portland, Ore. Harvester’s northwest-style ales are handcrafted from Willamette Valley chestnuts, sorghum, certified gluten-free oats, pure cane sugar and Willamette Valley hops. Harvester’s beers are made without barley, wheat, rye, corn, or dyes. Harvester Brewing’s facility is entirely gluten-free, no gluten containing items are allowed on the premises.

PORTLAND, ORE./NEW YORK (May 15, 2012) – LANE PR, an independently owned public relations agency, has hired Jeff Bunch as digital account director. With nearly a decade of experience as a strategist, Bunch will develop creative programs to leverage public relations efforts across digital and social media platforms as part of LANE PR’s digital studio.

“We are thrilled by the opportunity to leverage Jeff’s expertise and insights to enhance LANE PR’s digital and social media capabilities,” said Wendy Lane Stevens, president and founder of LANE PR. “Having worked across various industries, on both the client and agency side, Jeff has a keen understanding of client needs and the digital solutions that can optimize our clients’ comprehensive communication strategies.”

Bunch has extensive experience in helping clients develop campaigns, best practices and company training programs geared to the digital space. His areas of expertise include: Web strategy, social media, search engine optimization, content management systems, content strategy, corporate training programs, social media policies and e-mail marketing. In addition to working for clients like Umpqua Bank and The Heathman Hotel at LANE PR, Bunch has led digital strategies for The Columbian Publishing Company, US Digital and Northwest Natural Products.

Bunch’s experience as a strategist is founded on a career as a digital journalist, and he holds a journalism degree from Eastern Washington University. In addition, he has previously taught as an adjunct faculty member at Washington State University’s Vancouver campus in the Creative Media & Digital Culture program. He remains current with the rapid advances in the social media field through ongoing professional development and education, and he is an active member of Portland’s burgeoning social and digital media community. 

About LANE PR  
LANE PR is a national, independent firm specializing in business-driven communications strategies with offices in New York and Portland, Ore. Founded in 1990, LANE PR provides integrated public relations, social media and investor relations services for clients in a host of industries, including consumer, food and beverage, technology, and financial services. The agency has won several awards during its 20 years, including the 2009 PR Week Young PR Professional of the Year, 2008 PRSA Bronze Anvil Award for outstanding public relations tactics, the 2008 Gold Bulldog Award for excellence in media relations and the 2010 Bronze Bulldog Award for best new product launch. For more information about LANE PR, visit www.lanepr.com or follow @lanepr.

Bob has remained a good friend over the years and continues to serve as an inspiration as I lead LANE PR down a path of continued growth. Whether it’s developing new opportunities for staff, providing clients with best-of-class service or lending a hand in the community, I bear in mind the example of honesty and transparency that Bob has always provided. I’m thrilled that we’ll be working together again this month.

This week, a number of LANE PR folks joined one of our clients, Consumer Cellular, at the Oregon Food Bank. They volunteered their time and packaged over 23,000 pounds of oranges into bags for individual family distribution.

Consumer Cellular has been volunteering at the Oregon Food bank since 2007 and have a combined total volunteer hours of 1,600. We feel lucky to be partners with an organization that donates both money and time to local causes.

Here is an orange-packed photo of the LANE PR team with Consumer Cellular’s CEO John Marick.

The exhibit examines the contributions of some of the most important African American aviators from the past and present who helped make the dream of careers in flight and space exploration possible.

As the PR agency for Evergreen, LANE PR’s lucky enough to be invited to the Black Wings preview party, where we’ll learn about the individuals who dreamed of flight, left their mark and helped pave the way for those to follow.

To learn more about Black Wings, visit: http://www.evergreenmuseum.org/upcoming-events/

Having nothing in my cabinets to bake with, I hit the local Fred Meyer and purchased everything on the list. Then, I set off in my kitchen with my newly purchased bunt pan and baked a cake for one of my favorite food and beverage clients, Tree Top. Teacher Appreciation Week is right around the corner and instead of an apple for teacher, we recommended this delicious, apple-filled cake in its place.

So I baked. And after having our ever-so-talented in house photographer, Kirsten, snap some photos of the cake for our pitching effort, it was judgment day.  And you know what? It was delicious and baked to perfection! A proud day for me.

I may just bake again…

Tree Top Apple-Dapple Cake:
Cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup Tree Top Apple Sauce
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3 cups finely chopped apples

Glaze:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine eggs, oil, applesauce, and vanilla. Add the wet mixture to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Stir in apples.
3. Spread the batter in a greased and floured 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake at 350°F for 45-50 minutes.
4. For the glaze, combine the brown sugar, butter, and milk in a small saucepan. Cook and stir until bubbly and all of the sugar is dissolved. Cool slightly. Drizzle warm over cake when it has cooled for 5 minutes, so it can seep into the cake and keep it moist and completely irresistible.

When Craft Brew Alliance (CBA) changed its ticker symbol as the culmination of a rebranding effort earlier this year, its team took the story to Wall St. Working with our New York office, LANE PR’s CBA team tapped into the country’s leading financial media, which had been friends to other public company clients like ZAGG and Umpqua Bank.

Although a departure from CBA’s traditional audience—concentrated in the Pacific Northwest and among the brewing trades—the New York media tour provided real value. The CBA and New York teams used CBA’s corporate strategies to help position the company as a player on the national stage. In addition, the resulting coverage introduced CBA and its brands to a wider audience countrywide. We’ll drink to that!