Over 50 years ago, a Croatian fella, Joe Juraco, married an Irish beauty named Liz, and boy did things start cooking after that!

Joe’s mother, Caroline, shared some of her cherished Croatian recipes onto Liz.  One of those recipes, called Povitica, was the inspiration to start Liz Marie’s Recipes.

Just before Christmas of 1996, Liz Marie’s began baking in Liz Juraco’s kitchen on the family farm in Canton, Illinois.  The six women owners baked Povitica to fill orders received via word of mouth.

After two years of holiday baking out of the homestead kitchen, Liz Marie’s acquired rental space in Pekin, Illinois.  The location was well suited for two years, as word spread of the baking venture.

Then on April 20 of 2000, a new location was secured and baking started in Manito, Illinois at 102 N. Broadway.  By 2005 the business was “bursting at the seams” as the signature item was no longer the only item being baked.  In the course of those 5 years, many tasty recipes have come out of the ovens at Liz Marie’s.

Finally, in December of 2005, Liz Marie’s moved to a new location purchased early that year and totally remodeled by the team of bakers, relatives and friends.