Pauli Reep

is right at home in the kitchen any kitchen. In fact, she'd just as soon

cook in your house as in her own.

The Peachtree

City resident and Ohio native is the owner of Pauline's Cuisine Personal

Chef Service. Her job is helping busy people fit home-cooked meals into

their weekly schedules when they don't have time to do the cooking.

What is interesting

about Reep's business is that, while it initially sounds like something

only the affluent could afford, it actually is a service utilized by a

wide range of working folks. Her client list ranges from doctors to postal

workers.

"A typical

client is a professional individual or couple who is concerned about health

and wants to have delicious, preservative-free dinners but doesn't have

the time to plan, shop for and prepare them," she said. "As

a personal chef, I plan menus, shop for groceries and prepare nutritious

dinners for busy people."

Having been

cooking most of her life, she ran a catering business in Ohio for ten

years. While the work was enjoyable, she grew tired of the constant weekend

work that business thrives upon, such as weddings and other group functions.

It was at a

wedding that someone told her about an organization called the United

States Personal Chef Association, a nationwide group that helps connect

personal chefs with potential clients and allows chefs to network with

each other and learn ways to improve their businesses. When her husband's

career led her family to Peachtree City last March, she decided to give

it a try in Fayette County.

Actually, her

clients are spread out from Newnan to Stockbridge. Several of them found

out about her on the USPCA Web site. What they have in common is the idea

that using Reep's services is a good way to manage time efficiently while

eating healthy meals during their crammed daily schedules.

Switching from

a catering business to personal chef meant a huge drop in food volume,

so she has no need for a lot of food storage in her home or a commercial

kitchen to prepare food in. She actually prepares the meals in each client's

home.

With an average

of one client per weekday, Reep prepares menus in advance and then shops

for a client's groceries the day she prepares that person's food. After

whipping up that day's dishes she usually prepares ten meals at a time

for a client she gets back home in plenty of time to greet her three children

as they get home from school.

Each client's

needs are closely scrutinized, beginning with a questionnaire that each

one fills out. "This is where my clients let me know they hate broccoli,

don't want just soup for dinner and need to eat foods low in saturated

fats and salts," she said.

Other special

needs, such as medical conditions that prohibit certain foods, are taken

into consideration as well as popular dietary trends. One of Reep's current

clients is on the well-known "Sugar Busters" plan.

Depending upon

their individual needs, clients use Reep's services on a weekly, bi-weekly

or monthly basis. She pops into the home, prepares and packages the food,

leaves reheating instructions and is out the door until next time.

"No two

clients have the same menus. I have an ongoing communication with clients

to make sure they are satisfied," she says. "Unless they want

to be surprised, most clients receive their menus in advance. They can

make changes or suggestions and also let me know if they will be having

guests for any of the meals."

Reep stresses

that this is not just a service for the well-to-do. Any working person

can take advantage of Pauline's Cuisine and possibly save money.

"One client

told me he was spending $150 a week eating out" before hiring her,

she said.

Being a member

of the USPCA has helped her stay in touch with what she needs to continue

being successful, providing mandatory classes and certification. Meeting

with other chefs in the metro Atlanta area on a regular basis is also

a big help, she said.

Potential clients

needing a personal chef can go to www.hireachef.com and type in

where they live. Entering "Peachtree City" will bring up only

Reep's name, while a "Fayette County" search reveals a few others

as well.

To reach Pauline's

Cuisine by phone, call 770-632-8973.