Foods I LOVE!

I've been in a pretty negative mood lately, so I've been trying to think positive. The happiest thoughts I had today were while I was sharing recipes with my SIL. Ana's been living with us for a while so when we were talking about recipes today I decided after knowing her for almost 7 years and after her cooking in my kitchen for 7 months I could finally trust her enough to share some of my most treasured recipes. She is, after all, a foodie herself so I'm pretty confident that the recipes will be in good hands.
I love to cook. I remember vividly the first time I was given a recipe and told to follow it (I was 8 and sitting in my soon to be step-mom's kitchen with Jason and we made gumdrop cookies). Cooking was always a happy place for me to go because I never got in trouble for doing it, and I'd like to think that over the past almost 20 years I've gotten pretty good at it. In college I made it my business to bug my roommates for their best and brightest recipes as well so I would estimate that the gastronomical value of my recipe file is pretty priceless since some of those recipes I will never be able to track down again. Highlights include the single greatest recipes for both pumpkin and pecan pie ever to grace this earth, a recipe for funeral potatoes that are delicious enough to soothe even the grief stricken, and a recipe for Butterhorn rolls which mean more to me than any roll should seeing as they play a very prominent role in all of my happiest childhood moments.
So in that vein, I'd like to share with you a few of my faves over the next few weeks. I'd like to invite you all to share your favorite recipes, too! I'll start with this one, a Klein Ward staple for the 10 years I lived there, and the cause of much of my childhood obesity. ;)
TEXAS CHOCOLATE SHEET CAKE
Ingredients: 1/2 c. butter
4 tbsp. cocoa
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. water
2 c. flour
2 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 c. buttermilk
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
DIRECTIONS
bring butter, cocoa, and water to a boil. Combine flour, sugar eggs, milk, soda, baking powder, and vanilla. Add together and blend well. Add buttermilk, cinnamon, soda, butter and flour.
Grease a 9x13 pan, pour, and bake for 25 minutes.
FROSTING
1/2 c. butter
4 tbsp. cocoa
6 tbsp. milk
"dash" of salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 lb. box powdered sugar
1 c. chopped nuts (optional)
1 c. coconut (optional).
DIRECTIONS
melt butter. add coca, milk, salt, and vanilla. Blend well and pour over powdered sugar. Mix until smooth. Add optional ingredients if desired. Spread icing on cake while still hot. Let cool. Eat.