Ingredients

* 1 3/4 cups cake flour
* 1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
* 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
* 1/2 tsp. baking soda
* 1/2 tsp. salt
* 1/2 cup butter, softened
* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* 3 large eggs
* 1 tsp. vanilla extract
* 1 cup milk
* 1 1/2 cups vanilla frosting
* Shredded coconut (optional)
* 2 black licorice drops
* 1 large orange gumdrop
* Red shoestring licorice
* Red fruit leather
* 3 starlight mints
* 3 small gumdrops
* 2 sticks chocolate licorice

*Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour two ovenproof glass bowls, one slightly larger than the other. (Note: For our cake, we used one bowl with a 1-liter capacity and 6-inch diameter and the other with a 1 1/2-liter capacity and 7-inch diameter.)

*To make the cake, mix the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Sift the ingredients onto waxed paper and return to the bowl.

*In a separate bowl, blend the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract.

*Alternately, add the flour mixture and the milk to the batter in thirds, combining well after each addition. Fill the bowls about two thirds full. Bake the smaller cake for about 50 minutes and the larger cake for about 65 minutes.

*When done, the surface will spring back when touched and a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean. Cool in the bowls for 10 minutes. Then invert onto a large, rectangular platter (about 17 by 12 inches) so the cakes resemble a snowman. Cool completely.

*Ice the cakes with the vanilla frosting, then sprinkle with shredded coconut, if desired. Add licorice drop eyes, insert an orange gumdrop nose and fashion a broad smile with shoestring licorice.

*For the scarf, cut two 2-inch-wide strips of fruit leather, notch the ends and wrap around the neck of the snowman. For the buttons, use starlight mints topped with gumdrops. Finish off the snowman with two chocolate licorice arms. Serves 10 to 12.

This one is great - it has the standard x-ray glasses that are the watermark of cool, but it also carries the harder to find laser gun. Oh wait, that's not a laser gun, but the PLANS for you to build your OWN laser gun - well crap! That will never do. I guess I'll spend my money and buy the device that will develop my HE-MAN voice! Finally, that career in radio broadcasting that's eluded me thus far is MINE! muhahahaha!

Did you notice the ad for the Venus Fly Trap? Those were almost as popular as Sea Monkeys. Here's another one I found in a different comic book.

And yet another one . . .

Look at all the other cool stuff we could buy on this one - a Monster hand - (hours of fun with that one I bet) - oh and don't forget the accompanying MONSTER FOOT - aw, what the heck, might as well buy TWO of those . . . if you were smart, you'd skip the hand and foot and just splurge and get the WHOLE skeleton! (Did you see that fine print - "No gluing, No painting - parts snap together! Free Anatomy Chart included!"  I don't want to LEARN dammit! Forget that!)

Last, but not least here's some awesome monster kits - just in time for Halloween!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 3 oz. Junior Mints (about 32 mints)
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white

Preheat oven to 350° F and coat bottom of an 8" baking pan with cooking spray.  Combine butter and mints in a 2 cup glass measuring cup and microwave on HIGH for apx 30 seconds, or until soft. Stir until smooth and set aside.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife. Combine flour, soda, salt in a bowl.  In another bowl combine sugar, cocoa, egg and egg white, beat with a mixer at medium speed until well-blended. Add mint mixture and beat well. Slowly add flour mixture and beat just until blended.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Note: Two large (1.5 oz) mints or 6 miniature chocolate-covered peppermint patties (such as York) may be substituted for the Junior Mints.