Chocolate Sheet Cake

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 stick butter

4 TBSP cocoa

1 cup water

½ cup Crisco

½ cup buttermilk or reg. Milk

1 tsp soda

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

ICING

1 stick butter

3 TBSP cocoa

6 TBSP milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 box powdered sugar (I use about 2/3; icing is very rich) ½ cup chopped pecans, optional sprinkle on 1/2 half of cake

Mix sugar, flour and soda together in bowl. Heat butter, cocoa, water and oil in a pan, bring to a boil. Pour hot mixture over dry ingredients and add eggs, milk and vanilla. Mix well. Bake 30 – 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

ICING - Heat butter, cocoa and milk in pan, bring to a boil. Pour over powdered sugar, blend well. Add vanilla.  Add a little milk until you reach the consistency desired. Pour over hot cake and let cool for 30 minutes.

Sprinkle nuts on half the cake.

Recip from Diane Davis, NASA book club