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🔥 Even though I love making things from scratch, sometimes we all need a few shortcuts. Here are my top three:

1. Jarred Sauces & Pastes
These are flavor boosters that cut hours off prep. At home, I keep a few good-quality jars on hand. A spoonful of pesto, curry paste, or harissa can transform plain chicken or veggies into something restaurant-worthy in minutes. *My favorite recipes to use these are Chicken Satay w Green Bean Salad and Coconut Chicken Ramen (you can find this one in my Firehouse Eats eBook).

2. Rotisserie Chicken
This one is like starting with an advantage already in your corner. Instead of roasting a whole bird, a store-bought rotisserie chicken becomes the perfect base for soups, tacos, or grain bowls. It’s juicy, flavorful, and cuts hours out of the process. The kind of efficiency every firehouse chef needs. *My favorite recipes to use rotisserie chicken are Chicken Tortilla Soup and Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas.

3. Frozen Veggies
Here’s a secret: frozen vegetables are often flash-frozen at peak freshness, which means they can taste better than fresh produce that’s been sitting around. I lean on them for consistency, and at home, I use them to skip chopping and still get vibrant flavors in stir-fries or quick sides.

🕰 There’s a time for rolling up your sleeves and making everything from scratch, and there’s a time for smart shortcuts. The trick is knowing which moments call for the slow, all-day version and which ones just need a quick win to get dinner on the table without sacrificing macronutrients and flavors.

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🔥 Soup season is almost here, and nothing hits the spot like a steaming bowl of Chicken Tortilla Soup that’s as hearty as it is healthy. Packed with 55g of protein, fire-roasted tomatoes, and just the right kick from green chilis and jalapeños, this isn’t your average “light” soup, it’s a full meal in a bowl. Between the crispy tortilla strips, creamy avocado, and queso fresco crumbles, every spoonful brings comfort, flavor, and fuel to keep you warm and powered up all season long.

With only 10 mins of prep needed, follow along with me in this video and I’ll show you how east this is! *Click the image below for the recipe 👇

⚠ Let’s talk about the most dangerous phrase in the firehouse…

Every firefighter knows tradition runs deep in our culture, but tradition should never become a barrier to progress. Jack Welch once said, “Change before you have to”. That truth hits home in the fire service, where our mission is too important to let “we’ve always done it this way” dictate our future. Championship leaders, on the fireground and in the station, understand that survival, relevance, and growth all depend on a willingness to evolve.

Think of it this way: brands that have lasted a century don’t look anything like they did on day one. They adapted, innovated, and improved. Those that clung to the past disappeared. The same applies to us. If we resist change, we risk becoming irrelevant, unsafe, or unprepared. Grace Hopper’s warning echoes loudly here: “The most dangerous phrase in the language is, ‘we’ve always done it this way’”. The fire service is changing whether we like it or not, our choice is whether we grow with it.

As firefighters, we thrive on problem-solving under pressure. Every “new devil” that comes with a new level, whether it’s modern fire behavior, new medical standards, or upgraded equipment, isn’t a threat, it’s an opportunity. Strong leaders keep the remote in their hands: if we don’t like the channel we’re on, we don’t complain, we change it. And yes, critics will come. But as Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Do what you feel is right, for you will be criticized anyway”. Progress doesn’t wait for permission.

At its core, change in the fire service isn’t about abandoning tradition, it’s about honoring tradition by making sure we’re ready for tomorrow’s fight. Every change, every new training, every shift in mindset is driven by one thing: making ourselves, our crews, and our communities better. Jim Rohn said it best: “Life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change”.

So, be a champion of change. Not because it’s easy, not because it’s popular, but because the fire service and the people we serve deserve nothing less.

If you’re looking for some extra motivation related to the article above from J.B.Kellog, watch this quick 2-min video - it’ll have you ready to run through a brick wall.

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