blueberry braid.

there was a time in my life when i knew very little about baking... and cooking. i used to bring instant muffins to potlucks and sometimes have a can of corn for dinner. in my mid twenties i was a young, single teacher in a remote village of 250 people.... waaaay up river in rural northwest alaska. my principal and dear friend was this amazing cook. she could make anything from scratch and i was always so impressed and in awe of her baking and cooking skills. for morning staff meetings or inservice days she would sometimes bake for the staff. this blueberry braid was a highlight of mine. it was soooooo good. man oh man.. with a cup of black coffee and this sweet treat i was able to handle any staff meeting coming my way. a couple years ago i asked her for the recipe. my first attempt was an epic failure....so i let a couple years pass and pulled it out again the other day. sweet success! the recipe is a bit time intensive and there are like 107 steps to it... but oh sooo worth it! 

needless to say... i've come a long way from those 'just add water' muffins!