A few of my favorite things...Part the First.

1Password 
$39 SIngle User, $59 Family(5 users)

http://agilewebsolutions.com/products/1Password/Mac

Don't keep your passwords in a text file called "Passwords" or "Computer Info", or in a small notebook by your desk. That's right, you know who I'm talking to! 1Password is a password and identity manager that gets rave reviews. I love this program. Love, not like.There are editions for iPhone and iPad, also.

Onyx
Free (!!!)


http://www.titanium.free.fr/index.php?sid=d554e8067530be7cfbf2c8b78f2ea93d

Onyx is a system utility application. It has a lot of functions and some nice bling. For those not fluent in Command Line Interface(in Terminal, the stuff the bad guys are always doing in the movies), this allows more flexibility and options than usually available to the average user.
From the creators:
OnyX is a multifunction utility for Mac OS X which allows you to verify the Startup Disk and the structure of its System files, to run misc tasks of system maintenance, to configure some hidden parameters of the Finder, Dock, QuickTime, Safari, iTunes, Login window, Spotlight and many Apple’s applications, to delete caches, to remove a certain number of files and folders that may become cumbersome and more.

SuperDuper
$27.95

http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html

Make a bootable backup of your system painlessly and easily. I can't TELL you how many OMG's this software has rescued me from. I just replaced my internal hard drive, and used SuperDuper to copy my old HD to the new BEFORE I installed it.
I run this along with Time Machine for a complete backup program.
Come on, for less than $30, you can have peace of mind that your precious files are backed up, and you don't have to be a techie to do it.
From the creators:
SuperDuper is the wildly acclaimed program that makes recovery painless, because it makes creating a fully bootable backup painless. Its incredibly clear, friendly interface is understandable, easy to use, and SuperDuper's built-in scheduler makes it trivial to back up automatically. It's the perfect complement to Time Machine under Leopard and Snow Leopard, allowing you to store a bootable backup alongside your Time Machine volume—and it runs beautifully on both Intel and Power PC Macs!
SuperDuper's interface confirms all your actions in simple, clear language to ensure that the end result is exactly what you intended.

 Red Velvet Cake!

RECIPE:

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil for the pans
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons red food coloring (1 ounce)
• 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows
• Crushed pecans, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil and flour 3 (9 by 1 1/2-inch round) cake pans.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In another large bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla.

Using a standing mixer, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and a smooth batter is formed.

Divide the cake batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. Place the pans in the oven evenly spaced apart. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through the cooking, until the cake pulls away from the side of the pans, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Remove the cakes from the oven and run a knife around the edges to loosen them from the sides of the pans. One at a time, invert the cakes onto a plate and then re-invert them onto a cooling rack, rounded-sides up. Let cool completely.

Frost the cake. Place 1 layer, rounded-side down, in the middle of a rotating cake stand. Using a palette knife or offset spatula spread some of the cream cheese frosting over the top of the cake. (Spread enough frosting to make a 1/4 to 1/2-inch layer.) Carefully set another layer on top, rounded-side down, and repeat. Top with the remaining layer and cover the entire cake with the remaining frosting. Sprinkle the top with the pecans.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1 pound cream cheese, softened
• 4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup), softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand-held electric mixer in a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, and butter on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high, and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. (Occasionally turn the mixer off, and scrape the down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.)

Reduce the speed of the mixer to low. Add the vanilla, raise the speed to high and mix briefly until fluffy (scrape down the bowl occasionally). Store in the refrigerator until somewhat stiff, before using. May be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Yield: enough to frost a 3 layer (9-inch) cake

Chef: Sara Moulton

From The Food Network