This recipe started as an Apple Pie that was handed down to me by my maternal Grandmother, who taught me how to make a ‘perfect’ pie crust.

When I was old enough to be handed the responsibility, it became my duty to make Grandmas Apple Pie and bring it to family functions. After making it a couple of times, I decided I was too lazy to peel the apples, and really it could do with less sugar. I made it ‘my way’ and said nothing. After my Grandmother had some, I asked if it was okay. She smiled, in just the way only she could, and said it was delightful. It was then I came clean and told her I changed her recipe. I was surprised when she laughed and smiled. She said she’d changed it when she got it too.

This really was the start of me feeling freedom to try and improve upon something that already was great and my kitchen experiments began.

Thanksgiving 2009, my kids had begged for apple pie, so I brought out Grandmas trusty recipe, copied in my teen handwriting on a stained and torn recipe card. While making my grocery list, my 5 year old asked could we put blueberries in it. I have to admit an initial tinge of angst at altering something so sacred, but it quickly dawned on me I had already done just that, and what a cool thing it would be to pass on the memories I have to my kids. Apple Blueberry it is!

When it came to making the pie, the crust that always came out in Grandmas’ ‘perfect’ way was somehow failing me. I made one and it just wouldn’t hold together. I dumped it and was going to make another but did not have enough white flour so I used wheat. When I tried to transfer it, it just tore. Frustrated and not wanting to make a third crust, I decided to just use what I had and just patch it together. I was bummed. I thought it ugly and a disaster. I cooked it anyway.

The resulting pie was messy and kind of unique looking, and tasted fantastic. Here it is with blessings to find a way to make it your own, or enjoy it as is.

Apple Blueberry “Messy Pie”

5 large tart apples (Granny Smith)
1 C Blueberries (small “clamshell” package)
3/4 C Sugar
2 Tbsp flour
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Nutmeg

Peel and core apples and slice thin (I did peel them for this pie). Mix sugar, flour, spices in a separate bowl and add to the apples. Toss to cover well & set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Pie Crust 9″

2 C. Flour (I used wheat)
1/2 tsp Salt
3/4 C. Shortening
4-5 Tbsp cold water

*Half and Half to brush on pie top
*Sprinkling of sugar for pie top

Sift together flour and salt. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until pieces are the size of small peas. Sprinkle water in a tablespoon at a time and gently mix with a fork. Repeat until moist. Gather up with fingers and form into a ball. Let the dough stand for several minutes.

Divide dough into two and form into ball. Flatten slightly and roll on a lightly floured surface.
You can draw a line 1″ larger than your pan as a guide. Transfer to the pie dish. This pie is the brainchild of a 5yo, so if it is messy or torn, don’t worry about it. Pinch it together, but try not to over work the dough.

Place half the apple mixture carefully into the dough lined pan, the apples will cook down so its best to try not to have big gaps in the apple slices. Pour cleaned blueberries in the pan and top again with remainder of apple slices.

Roll out the second ball of dough to appropriate size. This time, tear pieces and place over the pie filling, overlapping the pieces. Brush the top of the finished pie with half and half and sprinkle with a pinch of sugar.

Bake in 400 degree oven for 50 minutes. Keep an eye on the top of the pie in case it begins to get too brown. If it does, loosely cover with foil for the remainder of the cooking time.

A few weeks ago a friend asked me if I wanted to go skydiving. I answered a hearty YES, which was entirely surprising to me, so I made a reservation.

As the event got closer, the friend (and her other friend) dropped out. I decided to keep my reservation anyway since there was something in me I hadn’t expected to say yes that I wanted to honor. I asked around to get others to come, and two other friends ended up coming with me to watch.

We got there right on time on a really super beautiful Saturday. I stood in line and collected my paperwork, which involved a a lot of “you agree this is dangerous, you could die and your heirs won’t sue us” text I had to initial, and they played a video (of a strange ZZ-Top like, bearded guy sitting at a desk in front of a dark 1970′s wood panel wall with some old plaques and certificates on it) that talked about tandem jumping. Honestly I missed much of what he said because I was so distracted at the oddness of video.

I met my (English) instructor Garreth, and he had me put a purple jumpsuit on over my clothes and step into a harness. He explained how it fit and that at different times he would adjust various straps for security and or comfort and that at times it may be uncomfortable, but it wasn’t supposed to hurt. He walked through what to expect and what to do when. He went through it kind of quickly but told me not to be concerned, as he’d go over it again.

I talked to my friends some, and for how not nervous I was leading up to going, the nerves started to kick in about here. I wasn’t afraid. I was somewhat excited, but still, surprisingly calm.

We walked out to the plane and got ready to get in, but it was a false start as the plane had to refuel. About 15-20 minutes later we loaded up. The plane was amazingly small, and an equally amazing number of people got in it. The photographer for my jump was standing up (as best he could) over the wings between seated jumpers who were stacked on primitive benches we straddled. One friend described the scene as like a clown car with how many people that got in.

Once in the air the instructor went over things again (twice) and got us harnessed up. As people left the plane everyone soft hi-fived and fist bumped. It was cool that the experienced divers did this to everyone including us noobs. It was fun to feel part of the crowd.

When it got to be our turn, we kind of rocked upright and duck walked to the door. The instructor had me push my head all the way back against him and fling my feet up to “kick him in the ass” and he leapt.

At first it was all sky and I felt somewhat disoriented, but he righted us and it was incredible the view. I was wearing light goggles to protect my eyes and keep my contacts in so looking at some angles had a surreal bend to the landscape from the plastic. It was really loud with the wind rushing past in a near roar, and the air was cold rushing by (I later learned it was about 30 degrees up there). I couldn’t (and probably didn’t want to) open my mouth, and I could feel my nose and lips drying out.

The photographer zipped up and back, he was incredibly agile. I tried to smile and give thumbs up, I was having a great time. It’s hard to manipulate your body a lot, and I knew I didn’t want to too much since that’s how you steer too.

Then, the chute was deployed and it went in seconds from roaring loud to entirely quiet and peaceful. The instructor could talk to me at this point and had me stand up on his feet so he could make some of the straps more comfortable. We also talked about how to steer the chute, and he had me hold the loops and steer. We also spoke about how we were going to land and practiced pulling the steering loops from arms all the way up to down to my waist, which also slowed us near to stopping and extended air time.

He said we could do some spins but wanted to be sure I was comfortable. I felt good so I said sure. This is the part I am unsure was a good idea. While I felt great the entire time, this part, after about the 3rd big turn, made me have some feelings of motion sickness. I held it together though.

At the landing, we had planned to come in sliding on the instructors butt as I had a hard time lifting my legs very high in the harness, but one or both of us tripped and we kinda landed face first, in some tall grass. Neither of us were hurt, he got up really quickly and unbuckled us and made sure I was alright. I was fine besides a little nausea.

I stood for a bit to get my bearings then followed Garreth back into the hangar and got off the gear. He had me sign his flight book (he was at about 10k jumps) and I could barely write. I was surprised how much I was shaking when I thought I was calm.

We sat on the couches in the hangar and relaxed a bit and watched my video (I guess they video everything even if you don’t order it) and I’ll say, wow! Video during free-fall is really unflattering when you aren’t young and tight skinned anymore. It was really funny though.

We had packed snacks so we got them and sat outside and ate and chatted with some of the other divers. One guy, who was really ribbing the noobs inside was super cool and down to earth when we spoke to him outside afterward.

There were some chocolate labs running around in the hangar, fields and lakes. It had to be heaven for them out there. We watched more jumpers come down so I could see the perspective from the ground, which was cool. One poor guy clearly had motion sickness like I did but he seemed to have it far worse. This part was something I had not expected.

Afterward, my friends asked me how it felt, and it was really hard to describe, and almost felt like it didn’t really just happen. By the time I got home I had the beginnings of a headache and felt entirely exhausted.

Now it is the next morning, and the headache is gone. I haven’t fully examined by body but I think I have no bruising and even the grass rash I had on my pinky fingers is gone. I think I am still processing the experience, but I feel calm and peaceful about it. I joked right after that “I didn’t die!” but at no time during any of this was I fearful I might.

One of my friends suggested that this is not something you can do and not walk away from changed, but I have yet to see how that manifests. I’m glad I went. Would I go again? Sure. I think I’d skip the photos and either take something for motion sickness or communicate to the instructor that the big swooping turns movements make me feel ill. Other than that it was a blast.