Hi! I'm Tonia Larson, the owner, recipe developer, and content creator at The Gunny Sack, where I've shared easy recipes for busy people for over 15 years! My family-friendly meals, easy side dishes, and delicious desserts include mouthwatering photos, dynamic videos, and step-by-step instructions to help you cook at home.
About The Gunny Sack by Tonia Larson
My love of baking and cooking started when I was a little girl. I received my first Easy Bake Mini Wave Oven for my fourth birthday so that I could make mini cakes and treats. I enjoyed paging through my mom’s cookbooks for fun, with the cake decorating books being my favorite. As I grew, my mom taught me how to cook and bake. The first recipe I remember mastering back in elementary school is chocolate chip cookies from a vintage Betty Crocker cookbook. In middle school, I gave a presentation to my class on how to make caramel candy.
When I got married, and we started a family of our own, I collected my own cookbooks and gathered recipes from family and friends. As I cooked and baked for my husband and children over the past 28 years of marriage, I started making my own recipes the way we enjoyed them, using simple, affordable ingredients.
I started The Gunny Sack at the end of 2010 as a way to share my recipes and teach others how to cook for themselves, their families, and their friends. In the beginning, it was a part-time hobby as we raised our kids, and it has become my passion and full-time career.
About My Recipes
I believe that anyone can be successful in the kitchen! It is important to me that my recipes are easy to make with widely available ingredients and step-by-step instructions. Whenever possible, I try to leave suggestions for ingredient substitutions or alternative cooking methods, but you are always welcome to contact me if you have additional questions.
Media and Print
My recipes have been featured on national television on the Rachael Ray Show, The Chew, and The Kitchen. It has appeared in print in the Tampa Bay Times, Woman’s World magazine, Sweet Dreams magazine, and Seventeen magazine.
- Rachael Ray Show (Bloomin’ Baked Apples)
- The Chew (Mac ‘N Cheese Pizza)
- Tampa Bay Times (Roasted Butternut Squash with Green Apples and Candied Walnuts)
- Woman’s World (Caramel Apple in a Jar)
- Seventeen Magazine (Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream Sandwiches)
- Sweet Dreams Magazine (Mini Eggs Layer Cake)
- People (Pumpkin Pecan Bread Pudding) People (Mac and Cheese Pizza)
- New York Times (Mug Cake)
- Healthline (Mango Chicken)
- Woman’s Day (Strawberry Pretzel Salad)
- Fox News (Bacon Wrapped Meatballs)
- Huff Post (Multiple recipes including Tuna Casserole and Barbecue Pot Roast)
- Today (Pizza Casserole)
- Insider (Double Berry Frozen Yogurt Cupcakes)
- Cosmo (Bloomin’ Potato)
- Daily Mail (Bloomin’ Potato)
- Pop Sugar (Mac n Cheese Bites)