Category Archives: Misc.

Anything that doesn’t fit into the other categories :^)

LibreElec & VPN on Raspberry PI

Misc., Music

Tried out a vpn service for my Raspberry Pi media devices, called PureVPN. Their app works great on OpenElec, however OpenElec doesn’t run on the current Raspberry PI 3B+ hardware, and there is no indication that it ever will.

PureVPN
LibreElec does support the current hardware, however the PureVPN app doesn’t support LibreElec. I contacted PureVPN support, and they were unable to provide any timeline as to when their VPN app would support LibreElec, and I’m not willing to use older Raspberry PI hardware to accommodate PureVPN’s requirements. I was able to get a refund with minimal hassle. If it wasn’t for their inability to support the hardware/software I wanted to use their service on, I would probably still be using their service, as it was a very good value.


I found another vpn service, called Ivacy, and it does install & function. I found that some of it’s configuration settings, such as split tunneling were not intuitive, and their notifications as to when it’s connected and when it’s not connected were not very obvious. I experienced regular connection drops – seemed like every hour, the connection would drop. Getting a refund a week after signing up was straightforward and appreciated.


Now I’m using NordVPN, and I’ve found the connections to be much more reliable – and there seem to be a greater number of servers in some regions to connect to. While it’s not the least expensive option out there, I think the reliability is well worth the extra expense.

New Host!

Misc.

After many years with my previous web host, I’ve now moved everything (I think) over to Web Hosting Canada.

So far the site response has been excellent – much faster than my old provider, which was taking 30-45 seconds to load a page, or log into the wordpress admin console.  I also like the fact that this is a Canadian host, and the servers are in Canada.

 

Waffles :)

Misc.

I received a new waffle iron for my birthday a few days ago – a vertical style Cuisinart. Tried it out for the first time this morning, and it worked great! It makes thicker waffles than our old waffle iron (which was also a Cuisinart), I guess they would be a belgian style.
I used the Classic Waffles recipe from Allrecipes.com, and tweaked the amount of milk – adding a couple extra tablespoons so that the batter would pour nicely into the top of the waffle iron.

Waffles 🙂
 
Recipe Type: Breakfast
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 tablespoons white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1.5 cups warm milk +
  • 1/3 cup butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Plug in, and preheat waffle iron.
  2. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until smooth.
  3. Fill scoop provided with waffle iron, and pour into top funnel. If the batter doesn’t pour very easily, and an extra tablespoon or two of milk, and mix really well.
 

 

Cocktails!

Food, Misc.

Well, that dinner at Wood Work back in June did it!
A few different kinds of bitters are in the cupboard, a couple different vermouths are in the fridge, some new glassware, cocktail shaker, mixing glass, barspoons, jiggers…. and the momentum hasn’t really slowed down!  Waiting for a couple large ice cube trays, mole bitters…
In my bookshelf, I’ve added some books:
pdt-cocktail-book The PDT Cocktail Book (Hardcover)
12-bottle-bar The 12 Bottle Bar (Paperback)
DEATH-AND-CODeath & Co.
I bought hard copies of PDT & 12 Bottle Bar, but wish I had them electronically as well – to search and look up recipes from my iPad or phone.  I bought the Kindle version of Death & Co., but I think it’s still nice to be able to pick up a book and enjoy the original presentation of the books authors.  Wish buying books was like buying new vinyl albums – where they typically include digital downloads.
The 12 Bottle Bar is a great book to start with, if you’re just buying one book.  The recipes are grouped by the main spirit used in the recipes, and contains most of the classic cocktail recipes.
The PDT Cocktail Book and the Death & Co. books are great reading, providing more back story about a couple of important cocktail bars in New York City.  It’s interesting to read about how some cocktail recipes come about, and they provide information and recipes on making syrups and other ingredients used in some of the drinks.
Now we’re also looking at bar cabinets  – something that will store the tools, glassware, and bottles – that opens up as a prep and serving station.
Another  case of both feet 🙂