I'm baaackkk WITH RED VELVET CREAM CHEESE CUPCAKES!!

The horror of summer school. Mass loads of work. Sky-rocketing high levels of stress. Exhausion to the max, yet I find myself restless. Result in little and low-quality sleep. And that's just the beginning.

But...GOOD NEWS...I'm baaaackkk!!!!

I'll show you what I've been up to in a later entry.

But for the more exciting entry, as I promised............RED VELVET CUPCAKES with CREAM CHEESE FROSTING!!!!!!

Because I'm the typical college student on a budget, I won't lie....I used boxed red velvet cake. However, I did make my own cream cheese frosting! Inspired by Mrs. Paula Amazing Deen

Cream Cheese Frosting JACQUIE STYLE

1 package cream cheese, softened

1 stick butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar

Mix together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until smooth. Add the sugar until well-blended, light, and fluffy!

Now, using a butter knife, spread a thick, thick layer on top of your boxed-prepared red velvet cake!!

Confession: My recipes are generally a mix of multiple recipes. I usually go on google and pick out recipes that match the ingredients I have in my cupboard. Initially, I was also going to use My Baking Adventure's Red Velvet Cupcake recipe then use Paula Deen's frosting, but then I decided to take the faster and cheaper route. It's also because I needed the oven for homemade, low carb pizza! I had a cute mini-date with the boyfriend that night! At some point, the pizza recipe is a MUST for this blog!!

Side-note: Feel free to use My Baking Adventure's red velvet cupcake recipe. It looks truly delicious, then let me know how it went!

Oooh Nooo! Sad, Sad News!

My weekend has been great, but has gone by waaay too fast.

I'm at the end of my weekend, with lots of work to do, so this will be a short post. More to come tomorrow or day after.

Tomorrow will be a better day, happier entry! For sure!

(Side note: I was reading my Organizational Behaviour class and it said that people tend to be unhappier on Mondays and Tuesdays. People tend to be happiest on Saturdays.)

Anyway, just to mirror the sadness to the end of our weekend....

Hundreds of penguins are dying!

According to Peruibe Aquarium biologist Thiago do Nascimento, about 556 penguins have washed up onto the Brazillian coast since July 11, 2010. According to another biologist, Isabelle Nunes, it isn't unusal for penguins to come up onto the beaches, but usually, they're alive. They believe the cold waters is the root of the problem. Nunes explains that the cold water has caused regional cold front, and therefore, the fish that the penguins usually eat have gone to other waters. Necropsies performed on these penguins have indicated empty stomachs.

Perhaps we can blame climate change, overfishing, and pollution? I don't know.

Read more about the story: http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/07/21/brazil.dead.penguins/index.html

This is sad.

Confession: I have a secret love for penguins, so this is really disappointing. I hope people continue with the penguin searches.

Internet Lies

Speaking of apartments....I'm in trouble for housing in the fall! I haven't solidified my plans. Okay, fine, I won't lie. I haven't even found a place yet. Which brings me to....CRAIGSLIST. I went on there to either find a place to sublet or lease.

I came upon this GREAT place. Check out the email:

Happy to hear of your interest,
The apartment is available for rent,
It is very spacious, over 1400sqft, very modern and bright, 2 large bedrooms, 2 full baths, a living room, dining area, washer and dryer in the apartment, lots of closet space, fully furnished, all new bedding/linens, cookware, dishes etc .The rooms are nicely furnished and the apartment features a spacious/open modern Kitchen with Stainless Steel Appliances: range/oven, microwave, dishwasher & refrigerator, lots of closets and storage space. Air Conditioning, Granite and marble bathrooms, stainless steel appliances, 42" LCD TV, DVD, Sound System. Comes with a gated included,a storage unit where you can deposit my furniture (if you want to rent it unfurnished and you want use your own furniture) Maintenance is done by a specialized company and i will be billed for any maintenance work that gets done. Pets are allowed! . The address is: 21 Beacon St Boston MA 02108, It is located in a very select downtown neighborhood, The area is very nice, very quiet and safe, it is close to all the best attractions, easy access to Great Restaurants, Bars, Pubs and shopping abound in the immediate area, within walking distance. In this area i could ren t the apartment for almost double the price i am asking ( US $900.00 / Month, US $900.00 Deposit ) Water,electricity, Internet,cable, parking, All the utilities and amenities fees are included in the monthly rent because I want to find someone serious and reliable that will always be on time with the rent and will take care of my property.

I am the apartment owner, i now live in London, UK most of the time and i have decided to rent the apartment. The rental will be done only via eBayReal Estate. eBay.com is a legitimate and neutral company, offering purchase protection for millions of transactions each day. The apartment is not yet listed on their web site, first we have to set up the rental process through them. The process is simple and easy, everything is done online.

To secure the apartment you will deposit the first month's rent plus the deposit to eBay as security, they will handle all the paperwork, documentation and the keys will be mailed to you via Overnight Express. You will have a 5 days inspection period to review the apartment and the lease, after this period if you decide not to rent the apartment eBay will return you the money 100%, you will get the first month's rent and the deposit back the same day the lease and keys are returned as I will be supporting the fees. I am sure you will love the apartment and that you will decide to rent it, but it's good to know you have the second option also. The apartment is unoccupied, you can move in the same day or whenever you are ready. The lease is flexible, can be month to month, min stay one month, If you are interested you can secure the apartment now and move in later, the lease will start from when you move in.

I will be billed when i set up the process so I don't want to end up paying eBay hundreds of dollars for this service without any result. I want to make sure i am dealing with people who are serious about renting.

Please tell me something about your income. If you are interested in the apartment please describe yourself so i can have an idea about you and the people that will be living in my apartment. Let me know if you are interested, when can you secure the apartment, how long are you planing to rent, I really need to take care of this matter by the end of the next week.

Thank you for your time.
Regards!

Ps. Below are some pictures of the apartment please let me know if you have received them with pictures of the apartment : http://pict.com/album/62540/98746afb63

Does this place sound amazing or amazing? Of course, I live in the city and that's just TOO GOOD to be true. Nonetheless, I got super excited about it. The moment I got home, I decided to look up "eBay Real Estate." As I'm looking it up, I see "ebay real estate scam." Out of curiosity, I click it. OF COURSE, out of my disappointment, THE EXACT SAME EMAIL APPEARS!!!!!!!!!! Crushed me! I was way too excited about something I knew couldn't be true.

Moral of the story: Do your homework. And don't trust the internet.

Craigslist is pretty much an online local classified. It was established in early 1995 by Craig Newmark. Since the late 2000, Jim Buckmaster has been the CEO. In 2010, they company currently has about 30 employees. Craigslist, itself, has over 50 millions users. Each month, over 20 billion pages are viewed. In the past years, "Craigslist has expanded to more than 700 local sites in 70 countries."

My question, how are 30 people meant to manage (every month) the 50 million new classified ads, 1 million new job listings, and 120 million user postings in 100 topic forums?

Answer, they can't.

It's up to us to protect ourselves.

#1 MOST IMPORTANT TIP: safeguard your personal information

Don't give out any information such as credit card numbers, bank account numbers, social security numbers, or even your mobile phone number!!!! You don't know who you're dealing with, especially on Craigslist. On other websites such as Amazon or eBay, I say, just be cautious. ESPECIALLY, don't give out your address "number" (lol). All this is important for YOUR OWN SAFETY, as well as identity theft or other fraudulent purposes.

#2 Do research on websites

CHECK THE WEBSITE before taking action. Especially with websites that you're unfamiliar with, READ THE PRIVACY POLICY. They probably have something sneaky in it. Furthermore, back to tip #1, make sure the website offers a secure connection before giving any type of personal information. DO YOUR RESEARCH

#3 Want to meet people online? DON'T DO IT!

Yes yes, you hear "1 in 4 relationships start online." Well, take the larger percentage and meet that person offline. No joke.

Fine, if you MUST...follow Craigslist's rules:

• Insist on a public meeting place (like a cafe)
• Do not meed in a secluded place, or invite strangers into your home
• Be especially careful when buying/selling high value items
• Tell a friend or family member where you're going
• Take your cell phone along (if you have one) -- Jacquie's note: if you don't, get one...for your safety
• Consider having a friend accompany you -- Jacquie's note: DON'T CONSIDER, DO IT.
• Trust your instincts -- Jacquie's note: NOT your instincts, just BE SMART

I'm going to just strongly suggest, DON'T MEET PEOPLE online, especially through Craigslist.

Those are my top tips.

Please be smart. For your own safety. Think about your friends and family.

Confession: The place I live now was found through Craigslist. I live with three other girls that go to the college next to mine. They're nice and all, but I got lucky. After experiencing what I did (as explained in the beginning of this entry), I would say that I made a mistake and learnt my lesson. So, take me word for it. Use Craigslist cautiously. There are many other websites that are more secure. If you need a place to live, find a realtor. If you're worried about money, talk to them about the realtor's fee. People will work with you. If you're looking to purchase books or a designer bag, use ebay or amazon. If you're looking for job listings, go to monster.com or Yahoo! hot jobs. Be extra cautious.

Super Space Saving Furniture

This YouTube video is epic! Fantastic for cities where space is of great value.

The Wall Street Journal recorded that "Hong Kong property prices soared by nearly 30% on the average last year."

Another report, image below, shows the increasing listing prices of properties in New York

http://www.trulia.com/real_estate/New_York-New_York/

Well Hong Kong, New York, and people with very little space....

I HAVE A POTENTIAL SOLUTION!

My sister actually came upon this YouTube video, very interesting! (Click on the image below)

http://www.momoy.com/2010/01/09/minimalist-space-saving-furniture-for-small-house/

Remarkable eh?

Resource Furniture was established in 2000 by Steve Spett and Ron Barth. The company's mission is "to provide our clients with the finest of European furnishings at competitive prices, with speedy delivery and a focus on unmatched customer service." Sounds great to me!

My own worry, the level of COMFORTABLE-NESS, however, Mr. Barth attempts to show me otherwise! I trust you!!

Of course, this is more than just FURNITURE. It's complex! "It involves furniture designer, mechanical engineer, and a hardware company" as Barth explains in the video.

Another cool story comes from Hong Kong

This citizen transforms one apartment into 24 rooms! It's definitely interesting and I applaud him for all his efforts, but it's just...SLIGHTLY funny how close he is to his TV "in the living room" or how his guest bed is above the bath tub. Nonetheless, on a more positive note - you must make the most out of what you have!

Confession: Why didn't I come up with this idea?

Welcome to Electrique Confessions!

Hi! My name is Jacquie, thanks for visiting my blog!

I'll be featuring entries on my interests, new reports, advice, and well, life confessions!

For my first entry...BE READY!!!!

I decided to show you - what I refer to as - one of my secret talents!! In all honesty, it's more like...what I wish was one of my secret talents

But trust me on this one. IT'S SAFE TO TRY AT HOME.

Quick story behind the name of the recipe: My bestfriend INSISTS that it's almost the same dip recipe as her mothers (little does she know, there are MILLIONS of similar recipes) Nonetheless, MUST dedicate it to her mother, Mama Wang. =)

Mama Wang's 9-Layer Dip

1 can (16-oz) refried beans

1 package (1 oz) package taco seasoning

1 container (16 oz) sour cream

1 jar of guacamole (HOME MADE RECIPE BELOW!!)

1 jar (16 oz) salsa

(Optional) Shredded lettuce

2 cheeses of your choice (shredded), I used cheddar and mozzarella

2 sticks of green onion

(Optional) 1 can (16-oz) sweet corn

(Optional) 1 can sliced black olives

Regular bowl

Dip Bowl

Optional Homemade Guacamole

Mix together 2 tablespoons of yellow onion, 2 tablespoons of jalapeno pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. On top of that mixture, mash two ripe avocados. Mix this until chunky-smooth. Then add 3 tablespoons of tomato and 2 tablespoons of lime juice. There you have it, homemade guacamole!

In a separate bowl, mix the can of refried beans with the package of taco seasoning. (If you taste this and it's salty - as did mine - DON'T WORRY. The other parts of the dip evens it out. However, if you're scared, go ahead, just mix half the package.) Now spread this on the bottom of your dip bowl. Voilà! First layer done!! Now take the sour cream and spread it directly on top of your first layer. I'm a sour cream lover, so I used just a little more than half the container. Do the same with the guacamole, then salsa! For my dip, I decided to put shredded lettuce on top of these layers for a bit of texture. I, personally, thought it was a greaaat addition! Now put a thin later of your cheese right on top, follow by some chopped green onion. Really, you're free to put whatever you want on top. I like sweet corn and olives, so I used that. Another note, if you're a spicy food lover, try using hot salsa, or hot taco seasoning! It'll give it that kick. And now....we can say that previously-said-french-word-again....Voilà!!! Serve with nachos

FEEDS LOTS. Maybe 8? Fits in a 5"Lx5"Wx3.375"H container.

So as a conclusion, it can be a 7-layer dip, 12-layer dip, or 32-layer dip. It's all up to you! Be creative!

THEN, all you have to do is....

Grab a piece of paper.

____Write your name____'s _#_-Layer Dip

Now write the recipe. Forever have your own dip recipe!

Confession: I ADD MY OWN INGREDIENTS. what, what?!!? =)