Old Fashioned Pound Cake

I had often thought about making a pound cake. I mean the recipe is simple enough, one pound each of flour, sugar, eggs and butter.  What could be simpler than that?

Researching "Pound Cake History" made it much different.  Most sources did agree that pound cake originated in Europe in the 1700s.  The basic recipe is attributed to the high rate of illiteracy at the time, so a recipe where the amount and ingredients were easily memorized was prized. Many recipes from the period called for adding other items (rose water, brandy, orange or lemon zest and/or juice) for flavor.  Later recipes differ in whether it should be made with regular or cake flour and whether it should be made in a loaf pan or bundt pan.

Since cake flour is generally attributed to have been invented in the mid 1800s and in the 1700s when the recipe was supposedly started I think most folks used whatever flour and pan they had. I decided to use all-purpose flour as that is probably the closest to what they had then. I also decided to use a more modern pan, a Silicone Loaf Pan. If I had either a copper or cast iron loaf pan I would have used that, but I am trying to stay as true to the basic recipe as I can.

A couple items I noticed in my research was that while the basic recipe called for one pound of each of the ingredients most homes in that day only had one or two cooking pots so the amount of the ingredients would be tailored to the pot while keeping the 1:1:1:1 ratio. Another was that no leavening was added. The rise of the cake was determined by the amount of air whipped into the batter. I'm glad I have a power mixer.

On a final note, since I am using a loaf pan to test this I'm going to make an "Old Fashioned Half Pound Cake" in that I am going to use only a half pound of all the ingredients.

Let's get baking!

Preheat your oven to 350*F

First you need 2 sticks of room temp butter. If you forget to get them out with enough time to soften, you can soften them in the microwave. Beat them at low speed with your mixer until thoroughly creamed.

Next add the confectioners sugar. 1 - 3/4 cups worth. Again beat at low speed until thoroughly creamed together. I use a silicone spatula to scrape the sides down and make sure everything is mixed well.

5 eggs are next. I crack the eggs one at a time into a clear glass custard cup and check for any shell fragments before adding it to the mix. Once all 5 are in the bowl, mix thoroughly.

One side note. Keep the spatula away from the beaters when mixing. Once I got it a little too close (like in the beaters) and ended up with chunks of silicone in the mix. As you can guess, that ended that mixture right then.

Now add 1-3/4 cups all purpose flour. Mix it very well, scraping the sides down into the mixture.

I was also baking dinner as I was mixing this, so I neglected to take photos of each step after the mixing was done.  I'll do that next time and add them here.

Pour the mixture into the loaf pan, leveling it with the spatula. If you're using a Silicone Loaf Pan you'll need to place it on a baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper between the baking sheet and Silicone Loaf Pan.

Bake at 350*F for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool for 15 - 20 minutes in the pan on a rack and then carefully remove to the rack to finish cooling.

Slice, top with fresh fruit or ice cream or your favorite topping and enjoy!

Easy Moist Banana Bread

Mmmmm ... Fresh Banana Bread!

Everyone loves Banana Bread. I think it's pre-programmed into our genetic structure! A little twist on this recipe makes it nice and moist!

Preheat your oven to 325*F

For each loaf you'll need:

2 or 3 ripe bananas
1 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup oil (I use coconut oil)
2 eggs
1 cup vanilla yogurt (or plain yogurt and 2 teaspoons vanilla)
1-1/2 Cups unbleached all-purpose flour




Optional: Add 1/2 cup chopped nuts or raisins or chocolate chips


In a medium bowl start with the bananas. Blend with a hand mixer on low speed until thoroughly mashed. Add the remaining items one at a time, mixing well between each item.

Place your Silicone Loaf Pan on a cookie sheet (I'm glad I didn't throw that old thing away!) with a piece of parchment paper under loaf pan (You can reuse the parchment paper until it starts getting discolored and brittle). Fill to about 1" from the top.

Ready for the oven!

Bake at 325*F for 55-60 minutes. Start checking at 50 minutes for doneness.

When done remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

It's so hard to wait for them to cool!

When mostly cooled (who can wait for them to cool all the way? Besides, I want the butter I put on the slice to melt!) turn out onto the wire rack. Slice and enjoy!

Spin to a Clean Floor!

Special Prices Good 10/07/15 thru 10/09/15
 

 

This is the mop I use. It is basically the same as the Fiesta Red Spin Mop without the large bucket. That works for me as storage space is at a premium in my house. I use two ice cream buckets with mine, one with the cleaning solution and the other with the spin basket to remove the excess cleaning solution. No more hand wringing!

The Fiesta Red Spin Mop head rotates as you work, quickly and effectively cleaning up dirt, dust and other messes off hard surfaces. It's nano-technology microfiber material is ultra-absorbent and can be used dry to dust around the house! Hands free mopping system allows you to use a clean mop head every time without touching dirty, soapy water. Mop head has special microfiber woven yarn strands to absorb wetness and prevent fraying. Leaves no streaks, trails, drips or smears and easily grabs liquids, dirt, dust or hair. Won't scratch hard surfaces including no-wax vinyl, laminate, linoleum, tile, marble, slate and sealed wood wet or dry. The 360 rotating mop head can easily be attached or removed for easy washing. The adjustable head can fit underneath furniture or between narrow places. Microfiber Stands with nano-technology is ultra-absorbent for your messiest spills.

The spinning basket easily fits into sinks, bathtubs, showers, and more. As the mop head spins, the specially designed basket drains excess water back into your sink or bucket, allowing you to control the wetness of your mop head. Hands-free mopping system, use a clean mop head every time without touching dirty, soapy water. Suction cup feet for stability. 

This video will show how well the spin mops do the job, just remember this offer is for the Spin Mop Junior, which comes with the spin basket instead of the large spin bucket. If you prefer to have the bucket, the Fiesta Red Spin Mop can be ordered here.




What I really like about these mops (besides the fact they work great!) is that I don't have to hand wring the mop head to get the cleaning solution out. These mops can be used wet or as a dry mop to do a quick dusting of hard floor surfaces.

Buy single Spin Mop Juniors at $27.99 (30% off!) each by clicking here (Limit 3)

If you are planning to order more than one Spin Mop Junior you'll want to use one these offers:

Buy a set of two Spin Mop Juniors for $47.98 ($23.99 each - 40% off!!) by clicking here. (Limit of 3 up to 6 mops total)

Buy a set of three Spin Mop Juniors for $59.98 ($19.99 each or 50% off!!!) by clicking here. (Limit 3 or up to 9 mops total)

If you prefer to order by phone you can do so by calling 1-800-522-0499. Please give the operator Distributor ID#532600. The item number for single mops is 56024. For sets of two it is 5602402 and for sets of three it is 5602403.  The Fiesta Red Spin Mop is Item #56019.


Things to remember when you order from Fuller Brush:

• All Fuller Brush products are satisfaction guaranteed
• Fuller Charges a flat $7.95 shipping per order*

Thank you!

* $7.95 flat rate shipping applies only to orders shipped to the contiguous 48 states. AK, HI and APO/FPO orders may be higher. Call 1-800-522-0499 for estimated shipping charges and please give them Distributor ID #532600.

Fire Prevention Week

Did you know that according to FEMA:

• 2,900 home clothes dryer fires are reported each year and cause an estimated 5 deaths, 100 injuries, and $35 million in property loss.
• The leading cause of home clothes dryer fires is failure to clean them (34 percent).
• More home clothes dryer fires occur in the fall and winter months, peaking in January.

Also, A full load of wet clothes placed in a dryer contains about one half gallon of water. As water is removed, lint is created from the clothes.
 

To clean your dryer's vent, consider the Fuller Brush Clothes Dryer Vent Brush. 

What causes some clothes dryer fires? Lack of maintenance is a contributing factor. People just aren't cleaning lint traps as often as they should nor are they checking and cleaning vent systems on a periodic basis. Reduced airflow resulting from lint buildup in the screen or other areas around the dryer can cause the dryer to perform poorly, operate at elevated temperatures and possibly overheat.

Fire departments, electric companies, and appliance dealers will tell you to use this brush in your dryer and refrigerator. Do an internet search for “house fire clothes dryer” and see for yourself how often a clothes dryer will burn a house down. Most people don’t think beyond cleaning the lint screen. A LOT gets past that trap, building up underneath or behind the dryer drum. Our unique long-reaching #323 Clothes Dryer Vent Brush, gets the lint trapped in your dryer to make it work more efficiently and safely. It will also pay for itself in electricity savings because a clean dryer will dry your clothes much more quickly.  

OTHER USES – STEAM RADIATORS, REFRIGERATORS, 

DUSTING TIGHT SPOTS

This 27”-long #323 Dryer Vent Brush is terrific for those old fashioned steam radiators, as the only practical way to clean the dust and pet hair out of all those crevices. Great for vacuum cleaner hoses too. Great item for antique stores to sell!  Also great for fishing out dust and lint and lost treasures underneath or between any tight spots, like under the washer or dryer or refrigerator, or between them and the wall or cupboards.

This brush is also a Refrigerator Coil Brush to clean your refrigerator coils to help them run more efficiently so it doesn't overheat. Save BIG MONEY with a clean smooth running refrigerator, cleaning out the oily dust from the coils that a vacuum won't get. Some refrigerators have coils on the back and some are underneath, or both. UNPLUG your refrigerator before sticking the brush underneath it or you may hit and bend your cooling fan. Having a vacuum handy to suck the dust off the brush helps. If you stick your vacuum nozzle under your refrigerator, you’ll see why you need this brush; that oily dust clings to the coils.

“If everyone in America used our Refrigerator Coil Brush, enough energy would be saved to run all the households in the State of Colorado for at least one year!” – The Fuller Institute

The #323 Dryer Brush is a “one brush does everything” solution. The cost of running your refrigerator comprises about 10% of your total electric bill. The Refrigerator Coil Brush makes your refrigerator run more efficiently and use less power, and can pay for itself within one year! It also prevents the need for repairmen, who typically only need to clean the coils, like you can do for free. Clean coils can save energy and natural resources (and lessen oil imports).         

2 or 3 times a year, pull your refrigerator away from the wall and brush off the layer of dust on the coils at the back, underneath, and around the motor area. Also clean the grill area underneath. When you push your refrigerator back, leave 4-6 inches between it and the wall to allow excess heat to ventilate fast. Cleaning the coils improves air circulation, allowing the coils to cool much easier. When there’s less stress on the motor, your refrigerator operates much more efficiently and uses much less energy, and keeps the repairman away.

You can lessen the chances of a dryer fire and save money on utilities and repairs by using the Fuller Brush Clothes Dryer Vent Brush. 

Whether you use our brush or not, please do use the information to make your home safer and save $$$!



 

Website Down!

"The enemy of the good is the perfect"

                                                         -unknown

I've temporarily taken down my website, fullerbrushjeff.com. When I decided to put up a website, I wanted to learn coding and do it all myself.  I do think it looked good and would look even better as I learned more about coding. However, it didn't look so good on smaller screens.  With today's increasingly reliance on phones and tablets to access internet content I felt it best to swallow my pride and use a premade responsive template that will look good on all devices.  

That doesn't mean I'm done learning how to do my own coding. It is just a step back to enable more steps forward.

In the meantime, you can look here for news and information about what's going on with Fuller Brush and Stanley Home Products.

I anticipate having fullerbrushjeff.com back up no later than September 15th, 2015 as we have some exciting announcements on that day.  It may be back up sooner if I can remember the old adage I posted it at the top of the page. Until then, you can shop factory direct by clicking here.

In the meantime, please use the sign up box to the right to get notifications by email whenever this blog is updated.

Thank you

Using the Dynamic Mop and Dust Set

The Weekly Special for this week from Fuller Brush is a great combination of Microfiber Mopping and Dusting tools along with matching cleaning products. These are some of my "go to" tools and products.

The Fuller Brush Dynamic Duo Micro Mop is both a wet mop and dry mop in one. It has a dry mop side (shown in the picture) with small strands which capture dirt, dust, pet hairs, etc. Flip it over and the terry cloth side works as a wet mop. If you've never used a microfiber wet mop, it's a little different from a standard wet mop. Unlike a standard wet mop where you dunk it in your cleaning solution and wring it out, with a microfiber wet mop you spray the solution onto the wet mop side and then wipe your floor.  This is especially great for cleaning a small spill area, while at the same time it is handy for doing the whole floor.  When you're done remove the mop head from the frame, rinse, let dry and you're good to go for the next time! The mop head is machine washable when needed.

The included Fiesta Floor Cleaner Concentrate and 16 ounce Stanley Spray Bottle compliment the mop.  Place 1/2 teaspoon of the concentrate in the spray bottle and add warm water to the fill line. Mix gently and you're ready to go!

The Fuller Brush Bendable Microfiber Duster With Handle has many uses around the home. With 18 inches of dusting area it can cover large areas like tables, chair seats, bookcases and more. The microfiber fingers reach into small areas to catch and trap dirt and dust. The included attachable and extendable handle (as shown in the picture) extends the reach of your duster by 29 up to 52 additional inches allowing you to easily reach areas like crown molding and ceiling fixtures. The duster is bendable, allowing to you wipe areas such as ceiling fan blades. The removable cover allows for easy cleaning of your duster.

No dusting job is complete without a can of Fuller Brush's Duster Spray. It is one of Fuller Brush's most popular products! Why is that? Because it works! Lightly spray your duster or dust mop with the Duster Spray and allow it to dry. It will turn your duster into a dust magnet!

The regular price for this set is $86.95, during this Special Offer your price is only $47.82! Time is of the essence as this offer expires at the close of business on Friday August 28, 2015!

This Dynamic Mop and Dust Set is featured on my Money $aving $pecial$ Page or you can order it from my Fuller Brush Factory Direct Page.


Things to remember when you order from Fuller Brush:

• All Fuller Brush products are satisfaction guaranteed
• Fuller Charges a flat $7.95 shipping per order*
• Fuller includes a free master catalog

Thank you!

* $7.95 flat rate shipping applies only to orders shipped to the contiguous 48 states. AK, HI and APO/FPO orders may be higher. Call 1-800-522-0499 for estimated shipping charges and please give them Distributor ID #532600.

Fire Season is off to a Hot Start!

Sorry for the pun, but I couldn't help myself.

There are several wildfires going on here in CA.  Sadly, several folks have lost their homes and many are under mandatory evacuations.  Below is the Fire Map provided by CAL FIRE, you can see where fires are burning in CA and click on them for more information.

Let's also remember to say a prayer for those affected by the fires.

Concentrate Set - Made in USA!

Fuller Brush has several concentrated cleaning products that can save you money by using them for your cleaning needs and free up space by replacing several products cluttering up your cabinets. This week, they are on special allowing you to save even more!

Degreaser Concentrate: This is usually the first product I grab.  It is sold as Fulsol under the Fuller Brush Label, and as The Original Degreaser under the Stanley Home Products label. This offer features the concentrated version sold under the Stanley label which is the same strength as Fulsol. I have used this for so many different things. I've used it to clean greasy pots and pans, clean oil stains off the driveway, get oil out of my clothes after working on the car, to get stains out of the carpet, and as a general duty kitchen cleaner.

Use 1/2 oz of Degreaser Concentrate and water to make a gallon of cleaning solution.If you have a real tough or greasy job, you can make a stronger solution, for light duty use you can dilute it even further.

Similar ready to use(RTU) products sell for about $2/quart in the store.  You can make 64 gallons with the quart bottle of Degreaser Concentrate, which would make it a cost of $0.15 (Fifteen CENTS!) per quart. That's a savings of $1.85 per quart!

Germ Clean:   I use this quite often in the bathroom.  At a 2oz to make 1 gallon of cleaner there are 11 gallons in a 22oz bottle.  I spray this in my shower right after showering and then allow it to work for a few minutes while I dry off and shave.  I then wipe down the shower, the Fullsan II has broken down the soap residues, body oils and dirt left behind. I use a light dilution of 1oz per gallon of water for cleaning my bathroom and kitchen floors.  Similar ready to use products sell for around $2.50 per quart in the local stores.  Making 11 gallons of cleaner from a 22oz bottle of Germ Clean works out to about 10 cents a quart.

Multi-Purpose Concentrate: 
Per the label a heavy duty solution of 4oz per gallon of water or a Light Duty solution of 2oz to a gallon is advised.  I guess my dilution of 1oz per gallon would be called "Extra Light".  I use it on windows, blinds, pretty much anywhere I don't use either Degreaser Concentrate or Germ Clean.  You can use this on your floors, counters or anywhere you would use a general purpose cleaner.

We're again looking a competing ready to use products selling for around $2 a quart.  Using the heavy duty dilution we can make 8 gallons of cleaner or 32 quarts. That works out to about 52 cents a quart, or still 4 times less expensive then the store brands.

Mildew Stain Remover Concentrate:  Wipes out mildew and mold stains. Use on bathtubs, sinks, ceramic tile, fixtures, fiberglass and porcelain surfaces, vinyl mats, shower curtains, concrete basement walls, floors, and more. Cleans to a sparking shine and leaves a pleasant, fresh fragrance. Biodegradable and phosphate free.  22 fl. oz.

The prices noted in the comments section are based upon the regular pricing of these products. I have also factored in the shipping costs individually. By factoring in the sale prices and only one shipping charge you'll save even more when you take advantage of this special offer! 

In addition to the cost savings, you'll create less waste by not using and tossing the RTU store bought bottles and cans in the trash.

Offer #1: 1 each of Degreaser Concentrate, Germ Clean, Multi-Surface Cleaner Concentrate, Mildew Stain Remover Concentrate and the Stanley reusable spray bottle. Regular Price $45.95 Sale Price $32.16  Order Online Now

Offer #2: 2 each of Degreaser Concentrate, Germ Clean, Multi-Surface Cleaner Concentrate, Mildew Stain Remover Concentrate and the Stanley reusable spray bottles. Regular Price $91.90 Sale Price $55.14 Order Online Now

Offer #3: 3 each of Degreaser Concentrate, Germ Clean, Multi-Surface Cleaner Concentrate, Mildew Stain Remover Concentrate and the Stanley reusable spray bottles. Regular Price $137.85  Sale Price $68.92  Order Online Now

Things to remember when you order from Fuller Brush:

• All Fuller Brush products are satisfaction guaranteed
• Fuller Charges a flat $7.95 shipping per order*
• Fuller includes a free master catalog

Thank you!

* $7.95 flat rate shipping applies only to orders shipped to the contiguous 48 states. AK, HI and APO/FPO orders may be higher. Call 1-800-522-0499 for estimated shipping charges and please give them Distributor ID #532600.

This special offer expires Thursday July 2, 2015 at 4pm CDT.

 

New Products! Essentials Rx Skin Care

 

About EssentialsRx®:
Utilizing advanced skin care science and quality ingredients, dermatologists formulated a potent, high-efficacy skincare line to improve the condition of all skin types while addressing the constant concern of aging. Our collection addresses uneven skin tone, wrinkles, loss of firmness, rough skin texture and dullness. Dermatologists formulated EssentialsRx® ingredients after thorough research, and have developed products that help everyone achieve vibrant, youthful skin.

Dermatologist Formulated
Contains No Harmful Ingredients
Paraben Free
Fragrance Free
No Animal By Products
No Animal Testing
No Synthetic Dyes

EssentialsRx® Gentle Cleansing Gel ✪ (#A6809)
Reg. $48 ~ Sale $40.00
Calms & soothes skin while maintaining skin’s delicate pH to retain natural moisture. Our refining cleanser works to remove all traces of makeup & excess oil without irritating, drying or stripping the skin. Natural plant extracts are at the core of our unique formula, purifying and soothing the skin.

Nondrying cleanser
Calms & soothes skin
Dissolves make-up
Purifies pores
For all skin types
Maintains skin’s delicate pH to help retain skin’s natural moisture
4 oz

EssentialsRx® Daily Renewal Moisturizer ✪ (#A6810)
Reg. $70 ~ Sale $60.00
Rapidly hydrates & nourishes skin, targeting fine lines and wrinkles. Our light daily moisturizer targets visible aging factors. With every use, dullness is minimized to unveil your skin’s natural translucent glow.

Rapidly hydrates & nourishes skin
Targets fine lines & wrinkles
Speeds up cell turnover
Encourages growth of new collagen fibers
No greasy after feel
For normal to dry skin
1 oz

EssentialsRx® Eye Therapy ✪ (#A6811)
Reg. $76 ~ Sale $66.00
Soothes & rejuvenates the delicate skin around your eyes. Deeply hydrates to improve the appearance of fine lines, puffiness and dark circles around the eyes, delivering a rested and rejuvenated appearance.

Soothes & rejuvenates delicate skin
Accelerates dark circle elimination
Reduces appearance of fine lines
Reduces puffiness
For all skin types
0.5 oz

EssentialsRx® NeckTherapy ✪ (#A6812)
Reg. $76 ~ Sale $66.00
Maintains skin elasticity while promoting healthy collagen growth. Our unique formulation uses peptide ingredients to assist in lifting and redefining the fragile neck area.

Improves & maintains skin elasticity
Promotes healthy collagen growth
Rapidly hydrates & nourishes
Speeds up cell turnover
For all skin types
No greasy after feel
1 oz

Special Introductory Offers!

Order All 4 Essentials RX and receive a Free Sonic Brush and Refill 

Offer #X2015  $200.00 You Save 45% on $370 Product Value!!

Order this special by clicking here!

To order individual items, click on the item name below

EssentialsRx® Gentle Cleansing Gel ✪ (#A6809) Reg. $48 ~ Sale $40.00 

EssentialsRx® Daily Renewal Moisturizer ✪ (#A6810) Reg. $70 ~ Sale $60.00

EssentialsRx® Eye Therapy ✪ (#A6811) Reg. $76 ~ Sale $66.00

EssentialsRx® NeckTherapy ✪ (#A6812) Reg. $76 ~ Sale $66.00

Things to remember when you order from Fuller Brush:

• All Fuller Brush products are satisfaction guaranteed
• Fuller Charges a flat $7.95 shipping per order*
• Fuller includes a free master catalog

Thank you!

* $7.95 flat rate shipping applies only to orders shipped to the contiguous 48 states. AK, HI and APO/FPO orders may be higher. Call 1-800-522-0499 for estimated shipping charges and please give them Distributor ID #532600.  

 

Everything for the Kitchen Sink!

Everything you need to clean the sink and what's inside of it!

#333 Ultimate Jar Brush: Perfect for long neck bottles, jars, vases and drinking glasses. Durable polypropylene bristles tackle the tough jobs and bounce back for years of extended use. Sturdy plastic handle. 13-1/2" overall length. 

#A3584 Dish Soap: Effective dish cleaning and grease cutting power in our super concentrated, yet gentle on the hands dish soap. Lightly scented
with a fresh grapefruit scent. Free of phosphates. 24 fl.oz.

#A3785 Stainless Steel Sponges (2 Sets): 100% Stainless Steel! Cuts through baked-on food and grease build-up. Use on ovens, grills, pots and pans, outdoor furniture,even tools - anywhere you need strong scrubbing power. Tougher than steel wood. Dishwasher safe. Box of two. 

#334 Ultimate Dishwash Brush: Constructed of chemical-resistant ThermoPlastic Rubber (TPR), which has the characteristics of both plastic and rubber. Rubber is infused with antibacterial agent to prevent bacterial growth! Resilient "Fingers" are tough enough to remove food and grease without scratching the surface. Top of brush head features patch of bristles for aggressive scrubbing. Ergonomically designed handle is comfortable and easy to grip with handy hang-up hole. 12" long x 2-2 3/8 wide.

#A3894 Degreaser Concentrate: Our best seller dissolves grease. Four times more concentrated than leading cleaners. One 32 oz. bottle makes ninety-six 16 oz. pump spray bottles at less than 14 cents each or 64 gallons of grease-cutting solution. Use full strength on toughest jobs or dilute for lighter cleaning. 32 fl.oz.

#A3737 Quilted Cloths:  Highly absorbent cloths! Unique quilted pockets absorb water and spills. Cloths can be machine washed for years of use. Helps save money by eliminating the need for paper towels. Made of a viscose, natural fabric derived from trees grown in a sustainable forest. Pack of 4, 14” x 14” each.

Purchased individually this set would sell for $68.93

 With this special offer, you get 45% off!!!

Through 4PM CDT June 19, 2015 this set is specially priced at $37.91!

Things to remember when you order from Fuller Brush:

• All Fuller Brush products are satisfaction guaranteed
• Fuller Charges a flat $7.95 shipping per order*
• Fuller includes a free master catalog

Thank you!

* $7.95 flat rate shipping applies only to orders shipped to the contiguous 48 states. AK, HI and APO/FPO orders may be higher. Call 1-800-522-0499 for estimated shipping charges and please give them Distributor ID #532600.

Backup Backup Backup

My backup drive recently died. Fortunately all of my important stuff was on one of the computers so if I lost anything it wasn't important.

I discovered the backup drive was dead late in the evening so I did do a bit of scrambling to get everything backed up again. I was fortunate to have about 150 GB of USB flash drives available. That and using the amount of storage left available on Google Drive gave me a quick solution.

This event did make me stop to think about backing up data. I use different Operating Systems on different computers, on my Linux machines I have the OS saved to a USB drive and in the documents folder on my Windows machine. For Windows I have a recovery disc and a system image. 

But the data is the big thing. Everything else is easily replaced. In addition to work files I have lots of pictures of my children and grandchildren. Audio files of conferences. Personal and business data. On and on.

That got me thinking about ways we could lose our data:

• Machine or drive failure
• Disaster (fire, water damage, electrical storm or surge)
• Theft of equipment

In the first case, if your HDD or SSD is still working you can plug it into your new computer to salvage the data. In the second case your machines and data may be gone. In the third case they will be gone.

So what can one do?

For machine or drive failure it's as simple as backing up to a secondary drive. An External Hard Drive is preferred, in my opinion, because if Item 2 hits while you are home you may be able to grab it on your way out.

Items 2 and 3 make me think about an extra external drive that is kept away from home or office and swapped periodically so you always have most of your data preserved in case of disaster or theft. If you're backing up at home you can consider keeping a drive at your office and vice versa. 

Also consider cloud storage and backup. I used the aforementioned Google Drive. If you have a Google account you get 15 GB of storage. If you use Gmail any saved mail counts against your storage. You can buy additional storage if needed.

In addition to Google Drive, there is probably the most famous cloud storage, Dropbox. Dropbox will give you 2 GB of storage for free. Once again you can buy additional storage if needed.

One you may not have heard of is Box. It actually predates Dropbox. Box gives you 10 GB of storage for free, with the option to buy more if needed.

Those are three great services, which combined give you 27 GB of free cloud storage. The only thing with those is the data is not encrypted (unless you encrypt it before uploading) so if your account is hacked anyone can access your data.

Enter MEGA. MEGA is a New Zealand based encrypted cloud storage service. MEGA gives you a huge 50 GB of free storage. The data is encrypted on your machine and uploaded to MEGA. MEGA also doesn't store your password so if you lose it, you've lost your data. On the plus side, since they do not store your password, if MEGA were hacked all the thief would get is encrypted data that he has to try to crack. Once again, if 50 GB isn't enough you can buy additional from this page at MEGA.

So you have physical backup and cloud backup.  But what about when your laptop or backup drive is stolen? Rather than rewrite what has been covered by many, I am going to leave you with a couple links on encrypting your laptop and making a strong passphrase.

Have a good day. And don't forget to run your backups.

EDIT: Foss Force ran this great article. It's a quick read and well worth your time.

Helping in Nepal (and Texas)

 Edited 06/03/15

The same organizations listed below are also busy in Texas helping victims of the recent flooding.  Any donations specified for relief in Texas will go to help folks in Texas.

Unless you've been totally disconnected (a place I wish I could find on occasion) you've surely heard about the earthquake in Nepal, and it's aftermath. In the days after disasters like this there are always many scam artists who spring up seeking to profit from the misery of others and the kind hearts of those who wish to help.

I turned to my friend from Twitter, Marie Wikle, for her guidance. Marie runs the Spreading Joy charity, and her outlook is best described by her Twitter bio - "Have a great desire to give big, but will simply give what I can until that day comes".

Marie recommended two organizations and I'm going to add a third.  Her first recommendation was Samaritan's Purse, a fine organization headed by Franklin Graham.  I'm surprised I didn't think of them but we all have brain blocks at times.

Marie's second recommendation was The Red American Cross.

My recommendation is The Salvation Army.

All three of these organizations will make sure any designated support you give goes to the designated relief effort.

Thank you for anything you are able to do.

Ceramic Cookware Set

I've been using these pans for almost a year now and they've become my favorites!
The lightweight aluminium body make these easy to lift, clean and move without putting needless stress on your arms.
The ceramic nonstick interior heats food evenly and makes clean up a breeze.
The handles provide a sturdy and comfortable gripping area, and feature a handy hanging loop for convenient storage.
The tempered glass lids keep the heat inside.

Last year I wrote this post about using and caring for enamelled cookware.

The fantastic price on this set expires Friday, April 24, 2015 at 4PM CDT. Order yours now!

To keep from damaging your enamelled cookware, use our Bamboo Kitchen Utensils.