A sugar high...

Here are a couple "recipes" (if you could call them that) to add a little sweet to dessert or just summertime in general: Imitation Chocolate Pudding Cake My mom always raved about Great Aunt Helen's Chocolate Pudding Cake. Well, I made it last year. And soon afterward, I made this with leftover chocolate cake at Rich's mom's house. This was much better. What you need: 1 box chocolate cake (any kind, the chocolate-y-er, the better) Whatever else the chocolate cake requires 1 tub chocolate frosting (optional, but again, the chocolate-y-er, the better) Hershey's syrup (we've tried a few off-brands, but nothing quite compares to the classic) How to make it: Make the cake (I told you this wasn't a real recipe!) according to the directions. It's up to you whether you want a 2-layer with frosting, a single sheet, or cupcakes. You can even use store-bought or leftover chocolate cake. Cut off your serving and put it on a plate or bowl. Squirt the chocolate syrup over the cake, until it's covered the top and sides, and has left a little pool around the outside. Put this in the microwave for about a minute. I like to cut up my cake and get it all gooey in the chocolate syrup, but enjoy it however you prefer! My kind of Slurpee I was never successful at making slushee drinks as a kid, but I also usually forgot about them, had to leave them out to thaw, and then drink them as juice - never very fun. But I've gotten the hang of it and thought I'd share my not-so-secret. What you need: 1 can (or plastic-can-thing) of concentrated juice, in whatever flavor you want. I use frozen, but I'm sure the unfrozen ones work, too. Water How to make it: Here's where it becomes my kind of Slurpee - I like them pretty strong and in the more liquid-y stages. I also use bigger cups - like a plastic Steak n Shake cup. I use about half the container worth of concentrate per cup. For a regular glass, I would use 1/3 to 1/4 the container, depending on how strong you like your slushees. Then just fill the rest of the cup with water and plop it in the freezer. This is where finesse, part 2, comes in. It takes a few hours to get the slushee to your ideal slushiness level, which is why it's best to make these when you're going to be home for a while. Which is why it's a great summer idea - at least for those few days you may have off. But if you check on it after an hour or so, and then every hour to half hour after that, you can be pretty sure you'll catch it when it's just right. Now that I've oversimplified a couple really easy eats, I think it's time to get back to work.