Directive Blogs

Call it luck, but today's Crock-Pot Thursday just so happened to be on National Bring Your Child to Work Day! Joining us for lunch and a full afternoon of activities, our special guests got to have a bit of fun while learning about what it's like to work in our office. Coloring, making videos, and playing with puppies were on the agenda. Everyone had a great time! See for yourself - check out the official video footage. Oh, and... here's the recipe for this week's dessert. No Bake Banana Split is something everyone should try, regardless of their age.

After a few week hiatus, Crock-Pot Thursday Lunch videos are back with a dessert worthy of a place among our all time favorite Crock-Pot Thursday dishes. We recommend that you try Strawberry Shortcake Lasagna as soon as you get the chance! Even though they didn't make it on to the big screen, the two recipes we used for the main entree *Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole* and veggie *Scrumptious Roasted Veggies* were both absolutely delicious.

Do you ever decide what to cook based on how many dishes you will dirty in the process?...Well here is your new favorite meal. It not only tastes great, but you only need to dirty one pan, or in Directive’s case, 4 pans! We could not get enough of today’s Crock-Pot Thursday meal, Pepper Jack Chicken and Stuffing.

To try it out yourself with the recipe below!

Fall is finally here, but we’ve still had some warm weather here and there! This meal is perfect for that transition from warm summer days to the cool and crisp days of autumn.

Today the team tried some new items; including: Honey Garlic Chicken Stir Fry, Paleo Fried Rice, Garlic Green Beans, and finished off with a delicious dessert: Pumpkin Bars!

Check out some of the recipes below to try them for yourself!

 Happy National Chili-Dog Day! How lucky are we that such a great holiday fell directly on a Crock-Pot Thursday? Today you’ll watch the techniques of two of our team members in a.....drumroll please........hot dog eating contest! Who will win? Kathy Chupp or Jimmy Mustard? Watch the video to find out!

This week we took a little break from standing over the hot stove and enjoyed some cold wraps with side salads and chips (just incase we didn't get enough on the 4th of July). To cap-off our lunch, we all dove into a Brown Butter Blueberry Cobbler that is too good not to share! We hope everyone had a fantastic 4th of July. Be sure to check out the dessert recipe below for your next outing!

This Crock-Pot Thursday dish was an employee suggestion! Today we tried Mexican Stuffed Shells and Cheesy Jalapeno Corn Muffins. Have you ever wondered what it is like to be in our office on Crock-Pot Thursday? Today’s video will take you for a walk in our shoes as we celebrate CPT! See the video and recipes below.

The official start of summer is less than a week away now, and we are still working to nail-down the best summer picnic dishes! For today’s Crock-Pot Thursday we tried our hand at Loaded Chicken Salad Wraps, Corn and Cucumber Picnic Salad, and Fresh Pasta Salad. See the recipes below to try them out for your summer celebrations!

 On behalf of everyone here at Directive, we wanted to acknowledge the video that was released a few weeks ago that claims we grow our Crock-Pot Thursday meals in what we said was our pizza orchard. These claims were not entirely accurate. See the video.

Where do we get all the delicious food we eat on Crock-Pot Thursdays? We'll let you in on our little secret -- we grow most of it! For instance, since today is National Pizza Party Day, we took a trip to our orchard for a postponed Crock-Pot Thursday on Friday lunch! Watch as our team plucked pizza, fresh off the vine.

It might not seem it from a quick glance at the cooking directions but today's recipe for Sweet and Sour Chicken was one of the most labor-intensive Crock-Pot Thursday Lunches ever. The hard work paid off in the end, as the result was absolutely delicious. Check out today's video to see how these ingredients and a lot of hard work came together to make a truly unique lunch that the team enjoyed.

Cinco de Mayo is… Mexico’s Independence Day, right? No? Well, then, why is it celebrated? Simply put, to celebrate Mexican culture as you enjoy the good times with tu familia y tu amigos, and to throw a great party. This made it a perfect fit for our Crock-Pot Thursday meal, even though Thursday was technically Cuatro de Mayo… Check this week’s video to see how we celebrated, y disfrutar.

Pretty much everyone knows what it is like to have to work while hungry. However, when your job is to accurately report a weather forecast, there is a big difference between a cold cut front and a tomato warning. Check out today's Crock-Pot Lunch which had 100% chance of Milford Corner Store subs.

Today's Crock-Pot Thursday lunch was really more of a 'Peep' show - with these adorable Easter Garden Cakes! (Okay, there was a delicious slow cooked ham with a maple brown sugar glaze, with honey glazed carrots and sautéed asparagus and peas, too. They aren't as cute, though.)

Even though the calendar says that it's March, the weather outside is pretty much the opposite of spring. Luckily, we had slow-cooked pulled pork or chicken sandwiches to warm us up! Paired with Corn Pudding (similar to corn bread, and just as delicious), baked beans, coleslaw, and last but not least, pineapple upside-down cupcakes. 

Crock-Pot Thursday Lunch: Tomato Basil Bisque, Grilled Cheese Bacon Sandwiches on White Bread. Side Salad w/ Choice of Dressing and Apple Peanut Butter Cookies

Is anyone else having flashback to their school lunch period? Close your eyes and you can just imagine walking with your lunch tray, hoping to find a seat at the cool kids table. Today's CrockPot Thursday lunch is a shout-out to old school lunches - except delicious. 

Today’s Crock-Pot Thursday menu tasted even better than it sounds! We tried our hand at a brief spelling bee, but it turns out that bruschetta chicken is easier to eat than it is to spell. It is perfect for when you LOVE bruschetta but are doing that whole “no carb” thing. Substitute chicken, and hey, it is even better.

Sometimes, when you wake up to much more snow than there was before you went to bed, it’s hard to bring yourself to cook. Fortunately, there are restaurants that brave the weather in order to provide their customers with the spoils of their labor, and besides, it is National Pizza Day.

That was why we decided to go with the reliable deep-dish pizza, courtesy of Little Caesar’s.

However, as it turns out, the fact that we could enjoy the cheesy, saucy goodness was a bit more complicated than we had first thought... How could this be? Dough, sauce, and cheese--that’s all there is to pizza, right? Well, not quite. Pizza has much more history behind it than you would think, history that one of our staff members got a little too into teaching us about.

After a grueling regular season, it's time for JoomConnect and Directive to face-off in the first annual Crock-Pot Bowl. Emotions are running high here at Pony Farm Stadium and you can feel the fans' energy as they anxiously await kickoff. It's the moment that both teams have been training for. The championship title is up for grabs and it's anyone's game. Click here to find out who prevails in this battle of the titans.

Today's Crock-Pot Thursday menu combined a main entree of beef tacos, an old favorite, with a first time recipe for dessert, Mini Lime Cheesecakes with Raspberry Sauce. Well, the cheesecakes became an instant classic. In fact, check out the video to learn how to make these tiny cups of sugary goodness.

Why do lemons have such a bad, or should we say sour, reputation? Sure, they might seem a bit tart when you first experience them, but if you treat them right while you prepare them, they'll treat you right, right back. We were able to experience this first-hand for Crock-Pot Thursday this week, as lemony goodness played a starring role in our meal--despite our not having filmed this week.

Today's Crock-Pot Thursday video gives you an inside look at our media department and processes we use when creating our videos. You'll get a quick first-hand look at our equipment, scenes, and setting up the shots! Check out the video below for a unique look behind the scenes!

Even though we didn't make a Crock-Pot Thursday video featuring today's lunch, we felt that this recipe was just too delicious not to share!