Carrie Ivicic gained cooking knowledge, inspiration and a whole slew of recipes from her mom. “My mom was a very good cook,” the Mokena resident and mother of two said. “She made homemade, traditional meals that we all loved.” Ivicic chose to share her mom’s sloppy joe recipe with Mokena Patch because it was one of her favorites growing up and because it agrees with every age group. “Kids and adults both love it,” Ivicic said. She grew up with two brothers and one sister, and the sloppy joes were something her mom could make that everyone would enjoy. Now, her two kids enjoy it too. “My …

Ever wonder where current chefs got their inspiration? Curious about what their moms used to cook for them when they were young? Athynia Sajpel, head chef at Chicago Blu in Frankfort, gave us an inside look at how she became a chef. She even provided us with a recipe from her mother, which she enjoyed growing up and still enjoys at holidays and special occasions. Sajpel decided she wanted to be a chef when she was around 9 or 10 years old. Her mother decided to go back to school, leaving Sajpel to take over cooking dinner for her dad. “When he really liked what I made, I was shocked,” Sajpel …