"i can't believe it's not butter" -aka "oleO-H no!"

...i've been avoiding the subject...but, it's time....
*o*l*e*o*- those four little letters that fill county extension cookbooks (who extends a county?) of days gone by...it's kind of an outdated term- not really sure what oleo even means, possibly a reference to the one molecule that separates it from a plastic, but it's out there & we've gotta deal with it......
   sometimes it's referred to as plain "oleo" or just "margarine", also known as "oleo-margarine", but isn't that redundant?   AND repetitive? all i know is, with very few exceptions, i prefer b u t t e r- full-fat, full-flavor, non-plastic, artery-clogging butter...it's natural, from a cow, after all, not a nearly- plastic substance in a plastic tub- which is kinda ironic, if you think about it...
   in my (disorganized) permanent recipe collection, all but 2, no 3, recipes have been converted to butter instead of oleo or it's evil twin, margarine...but, i must say, there are three that work better & taste better with.....ahem......o l e o. there, i said it- hope that doesn't knock a horn off any sacred cows.......i TRIED to make butter work, but somehow the results are a little slick, shiny or weird. maybe due to the fact that butter goes rancid easier & plastic lasts- well- forever. oleo just out performs butter in these recipes- kinda like motor oil. here's one of the winners of the butter/margarine debate....there are two more that will get their own page someday- interestingly, all three are chocolate. by the way, when one must use marg, my personal recommendation for the best tasting brand out there with the most butter-like texture & color & no icky aftertaste is Imperial. i won't use any other brand. i can't believe i'm an oleo snob.
   probably every one of you has this recipe already, but it is hands-down the best use of 1/2 lb. (yikes) of margarine in the world-unless you count fudge.......or brownie fudge cupcakes-so stay tuned.

*chocolate sheet cake*
sift together:
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda &
1/2 tsp. cinnamon ( i love this little addition)

in a saucepan heat:
i stick oleo ( i swear the recipe i have says oleo)
1/2 cup oil
1 cup water & 8 tbsp. cocoa ( i DOUBLE what most recipes call for, which must be why people like it so much)
bring to a boil & pour over the dry ingredients in a big mixing bowl

add:
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 beaten eggs &
1 tsp. vanilla
mix well & pour into a 15 1/ x 11 1/2 sheet pan-sprayed with cooking spray- then bake at 350* for about 30 minutes.... now the even yummier part!

the icing! (make while the cake is baking- you ice it while the cake is hot)
in a saucepan heat:
1 (more) stick of oleo
4 tbsp. cocoa & one unsweetened chocolate baking square (that's a secret, too)
6 tbsp. milk-whatever kind you have , but using 1/2 & 1/2 will make the frosting greasy, i find
remove from heat & pour over 1 pound of powdered sugar- i buy it in the box for easy measuring-
mix well & add 3/4 cup or so of chopped pecans, if you like - i like:)
kids will fight over licking the bowl- i've found it's best to leave a lot in there for the sake of family tranquility

this is the best cake- i make it all the time & sometimes divide it into three 8 X 8 aluminum cake pans to share-(you may need more icing- just 1 & 1/2 it)
once i was told i had the *spiritual gift of chocolate* when i served this at a church function- don't know if that's possible, but it made me happy:) thanks, MS!

-the snackmom