Hi, I'm Attosa (pronounced "uh-too-suh"). Call me Toosa. I'm a Los Angeles/SF Bay Area/London based musician and artist who loves to cook, take pictures, make movies, and recycle/upcycle crafts. I love weird, off the wall tips. I'm huge fan of Thriftyfun and its community!
:)3 Ingredient TrufflesThese beautiful little truffles will blow you away. They are creamy and decadent, yet so easy to make. You just need a pack of Oreo cookies, a block of cream cheese, and a bag of chocolate chips. Sprinkles are totally optional. I only used them to make them pop for my Valentine!
Chewy Caramel Apple CookiesI love these cookies because they're kind of like a cross between caramel apples and warm apple pie. The freshly cooked cubes of apple really stand out under the gooey ribbons of caramel. My family enjoys these warm with vanilla ice cream- it tastes just like fresh apple pie a la mode (without the hard work). Give them a try!
Gravity-Defying Ramen CakeThis is a super cool cake you can make at home with a few fun techniques. It's a bowl of ramen with chopsticks that appear to be suspended in the air. You don't need too many obscure items to make this yourself. Making it will save you literally hundreds of dollars as these fun types of cakes don't come cheap from the specialists. Have fun with this edible craft!
Snickers-Stuffed Peanut Butter CookiesEvery year around Halloween, I like to come up with a sweet treat that uses candies from trick-or-treating events. Either you have kids that end up with lots of them, or you have loads leftover from handing them out. My favourite candy has always been Snickers, so these peanut butter cookies are stuffed with them. The outside is a lovely sandy, crumbly cookie, and the middle is gooey and chewy from the baked Snickers. I've had a dozen people ask me for this recipe after an event I made them for last week, so be ready to share if you make these, too!
Upcycled Plastic Bottle Jewelry StandThis a super cute and thrifty jewelry stand you can make out of some plastic bottles and a few pieces of hardware. I used it to fill up with the jewelry I wear most often, and separated them by colour using the different tiers: silver on top, then gold, then colour pieces. I love this stand!
Making a Crab from a Scallop ShellI like to buy scallop appetizers at the seafood shop. They come in these beautiful shells, so I clean them and keep them for crafts. I've made a little red crab with one of them here. It's pretty easy to do and looks so cute. You can add a magnet to the back and put it on your fridge, if you like!
Mexican Street Corn TacosThis is a delicious twist on tacos. I used Mexican street corn as my inspiration to fill these tortillas. It's creamy and zesty and really hits the spot when you don't have things like guacamole or sour cream on hand. It pairs very nicely with the meat, cheese, and salsa inside.
Snow White and the Undead DwarvesI love taking regular Halloween costumes and giving their storyline a bit of a twist. This year, the narrative of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves met a terrifying zombie apocalypse. The dwarves turned first, then got ahold of Snow. Obviously, it's a bit of a cute joke costume as I used little plush dwarf dolls for the planned attack.
Easy Whipped CoffeeEveryone has been making this budget-friendly coffee delight as we are all stuck at home. I have some tips on how to make the most luscious puff with some techniques. Give this a try. It's a tasty and beautiful treat that beats any coffee shop's $5 version.
DIY Light Bulb Grinch OrnamentI made this Grinch ornament from a burnt out light bulb. All you need is acrylic paint, some red and white fabric, and some hot glue. No sewing is necessary. Tie on some ribbon and hang it on the tree. I think he's pretty cute!
Creamy RatatouilleThis is a beautiful vegetable ratatouille that is immersed in a tomato sauce, swirled with a homemade Bechamel sauce. It's lovely and crisp on top, and soft and creamy on the bottom. This is a delight to enjoy any time of the year.
Cheese and Crackers Mini PiesThese little cheese and cracker appetizers are super delicious. They double up as great presentation as they imitate little slices of pumpkin pie. They are sure to bring many oohs and aahs to your parties!
Herb Butter Lamb ChopsIt's easy to make your lamb chops super elegant with this quick and easy method. All you need to do is pan sear the lamb, then use its juices to make a pan butter with sizzling herbs. I used mint and parsley here.
Making Animal Shaped SushiSushi scenery is very popular in Japan. Here, I've turned sushi into cats and dogs, laying around in their pet beds. This type of sushi is called Inarizushi, which are seasoned balls of rice stuffed into fried tofu skins. These skins are available at many stores and online. I've added a link below. My mum used to make beautiful sushi scenery for my school lunch boxes.
Aloe-Based Hand SanitizerIf you're having trouble finding all the necessary ingredients to make hand sanitizer, here is a type that uses aloe gel. I have a huge aloe plant and just scrape out the middles. You can use bottled aloe gel if you have it. Also, if you don't have essential oils, use lemon juice.
Sour Gummy BrowniesI decided to make sour gummy brownies because my sour gummy cookies were such a hit. This ended up disappearing from the kitchen way faster than the cookies. The texture of the gummy candy turns into some kind of luxurious heaven when baked in the gooey chocolate brownies. The rainbow cuteness on top is also very pleasing to the eye. We love these!
DIY Oil Slick NailsOil slick nails are super cute, but the price you pay to get them done at the salon is insane. You can do them yourself at home for a mere fraction of the price. Plus, you get enough chrome powder to do them many, many times over.
Chocolate Chunk Banana Protein MuffinsI love making these little protein muffins. They are wonderful as a post-workout snack. I also like to have one for dessert as they keep me from waking up in the middle of the night from hunger pangs. When you have them warm out the oven, the chocolate chunks are super gooey and lovely. You can achieve this later on by popping one in the microwave for 10 seconds.