Wonder Twins' Chocolate Cake Powers, by the Power of Grayskull, Activate!

I was reading something earlier (who knows what/where) about memories. This blogger -- the author -- was talking about his/her perception of memories as recreations of events as opposed to recall of them. The point of the post was that people should write things down more often. I have to agree with the point... but possibly not the perception. It DOES help to write things down. Since I've started writing on this blog, I've been pleased with my journaling about certain events and goings-on in my life. Of course, you aren't privy to everything... so I should probably also consider keeping a personal and/or professional journal... but I don't. And I have no plans to. It's hard enough to come up with something new and different to say here on Pawpads every weekday.

So, anyway, that one blogger's perception of memories as recreations as opposed to recall. For many, many, many of my own memories, I would agree with him/her. I do understand and know for a f.a.c.t. that most of my memories are illusions, pictures I've created in my head of the way things must have been at that time in my life. You were there? You remember it differently? Yeah, I'm sure you're right. BUT... there are a few things that I can remember with, at least what feels like, absolute recall clarity. Don't ask me why, but one of those absolute-clarity memories is sitting down for breakfast before a holiday tourney b-ball game in what must've been my senior year of high school. I played really well during that game and my colleague, fellow b-ball big "man", partner Amazon-woman wondered what in the world could've caused my better-than-usual performance. It must have been, I told her, the chocolate cake I had for breakfast. Before every other holiday tourney game that year, Jeni/Amazon-woman-extraordinaire came over for breakfast and some of Mom's chocolate sheath cake. Eh, I don't think I ever played as well; and I doubt it inspired much above-average play out of her either (we were both just mediocre when it came to dominating on the hardwood), so I'm sure it wasn't actually the cake-for-breakfast. But it became a running joke/superstition with us, nonetheless.

Since that time -- when the chocolate sheath cake gave me super-bball-powers -- it's been one of my absolute favorite desserts... apropos for this blog post because of it's quick disappearance from the Gladware the last little bit is (or, probably, WAS by now) occupying on my kitchen counter. Okay, besides the powers, it's also just yummy. So, without further ado, I'll just share with you guys my favorite recipe (okay my Mom's recipe... but one of my faves):

Recipe for: Chocolate Sheath Cake

Ingredients:
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups self-rising flour
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
- 1 stick margarine
- 4 T. cocoa
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 eggs

Directions:
Mix sugar and flour in bowl. Boil oil, water, margarine, and cocoa for one minute. In separate bowl, mix buttermilk, vanilla, and eggs. Add boiled mixture to dry ingredients and then add buttermilk mixture. Stir well. Bake in a greased (use Pam) 9x13 pan at 350 for approximately 40 minutes.
For the icing, boil 3 T. cocoa, 1 stick margarine, and 6 T. milk for 1 minute. Mix in 1 box of confectioner sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla. Add 1 cup of chopped pecans if desired (believe me, it's desired). Spread over cake while warm.