Baking Day

Good morning world.  I admit it, I am a failure.  I gave in again this morning to commercial shampoo.  I washed my hair with my homemade stuff and as I rinsed it out, it felt waxy still even more so.  I am wondering if, since I was making several things pretty much at the same time if I put something in it that does not belong.  For some reason, it smells just like the body wash I made.  So I will make some more before I wash my hair next and try again.  *Sigh*

Keeping up with everything else, trying more old fashioned ways of keeping house seem to be working.  I got pretty much everything done yesterday, except for the mending.  I need to get stronger reading glasses so I do not have to have the boys thread the needle for me.  I will finish cleaning the couch today as part of it needs done again.  And today is baking day.  We have a birthday party to go to tonight, so a birthday cake is on the list.  The request is a Pioneer Woman's Sheet Cake, sometimes called a Texas Sheet Cake. Here is the recipe.  The only difference is I do not always use nuts.  But the result is the same  Enjoy!

Ingredients

• FOR THE CAKE:
• 2 cups Flour
• 2 cups Sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
• 2 sticks Butter
• 1 cup Boiling Water
• 1/2 cup Buttermilk
• 2 whole Beaten Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• FOR FROSTING:
• 1/2 cup Finely Chopped Pecans
• 1-3/4 stick Butter
• 4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
• 6 Tablespoons Milk
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 pound (minus 1/2 Cup) Powdered Sugar 

Preparation Instructions

Note: I use an 18x13 sheet cake pan.  In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.  Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.  In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.
While cake is baking, make the icing. Chop pecans finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.  Cut into squares, eat, and totally wig out over the fact that you’ve just made the best chocolate sheet cake. Ever.

Have a great old fashioned day!

Be blessed and be a blessing,

Just some of my thoughts and actions,

Elizabeth