Pasty making 2009

Alison and I made a total of 79 pasties today for the freezer.  Pasties are labor intensive, but worth it for those days where you have no idea what to make for dinner.   This year, we used lard instead of shortening - 1 lb container of lard is equal to 3 cups shortening in this recipe.   The crust was definitely flakier, and lard is much cheaper than shortening.  I am a lard convert! We made 3 batches of filling, and since we made smaller pasties this year, we actually used 6 batches of crust.  This is an extremely thrifty recipe - only 67 cents per pasty!  Serve that pasty with some ketchup. like they do in the U.P.  at  10 cents per ounce or some store bought gravy like the "trolls" do  (people who live south of the Mackinaw - under the bridge, get it?) at 35 cents per serving, and you still have enough grocery budget to add a tossed salad with home made Italian dressing at 52 cents a serving and a magic brownie like they make at Zingermans (only for a smaller portion) for only 44 cents.  The meal is only $1.98!  Take that, Walmart!