A nurse and mother of five children, Lisa Helmick was searching for a home business which would allow her more time with her children.

Chatting with a friend in North Carolina, the topic turned to ideas for teachers' Christmas gifts. Speculating that teachers might really prefer a home cooked meal led Lisa to consider marketing her chicken pies.

She prepared them first for her family, finally discovering a meal which all five children liked. Then she baked them for friends and offered to treat the faculty of Greenfield Elementary to a taste test. All agreed that Lisa deserved the moniker "The Pie Lady" and supported her idea to establish a business to market homemade dinner and dessert pies.

Lisa Helmick has now been in business two years and has expanded her offerings from plain chicken pie to ones with broccoli, mushrooms, spinach, bacon, asiago cheese, as well as chocolate pecan dessert pies.

The pie production begins at night after the children are asleep with the resulting product boxed, frozen, and ready for the customer to bake for approximately one hour at 350ºF.

 She sells the pies at the Botetourt Farmers' Market (held each Saturday from 8am-1pm or sell-out in the parking lot of Ikenberry's on US 220 north of Daleville) and also takes orders for pickup.

She can be reached at (540)816-7227 or at LisaHelmick@yahoo.com.