Easy as pie?

Previous to today, I have attempted to make pie once in my life.

The year was 2007, I was a missionary with limited time and no access to recipes.  The ward I was serving in at the time was giving away pies for Father's Day.  I knew all of the crust basic ingredients so made a shortening/flour salt mixture at a ratio that "looked good" and tried to roll it out with a cup onto a floured tile countertop, for the lack of a rolling pin or cheese cloth.

The filling was fresh apples and sugar.  I had no idea what else to stick in there.

When I finished my pie crust dough attempt, it wouldn't stick together and was "flaky" to the point that I had to piece it together in the pie tin like a disappointing checker board.  (I was using a take out container--much like the ones you get from Cafe Rio--as a pie plate, mind you)

I tried to make up for the lack of filling ingredients by arranging the apple slices in a concentric circle pattern.  Looked great before I cooked it.  After I cooked it, the pretty apple slice pattern had wilted and shrunk to about 3/4 an inch of "filling." 

Let's just say it was pretty pathetic.

I followed a recipe this time.  It still took 3 hours just to get it into the oven. It was amazing.  It's gone now.  I'll make another one on Thursday, and eat it all again.