"Massachusetts or something," ha! That reminds me of the waitress in the IHOP in SC who commented as she was serving breakfast to me and a bunch of other Connecticut-based college students, "Ya'll must be from someplace WAY NORTH."

I don't *think* Crisco is just a southern thing, although I did not know all those other housekeeping tricks. My grandmother swears by it and uses it as the secret ingredient in her foolproof pie crust. I have always just used clear vegetable oil for frying and/or butter for baking (I used to use margarine but I think it soaks up refridgerator smells more than butter). I am pretty sure Crisco is an essential in most Pennsylvania Dutch households!