Spud and the Gang

"I'll take the Mr. Potato Head set!" 

One of my favorite lines from The Andy Griffith Show episode: Aunt Bee, The Warden.
For my birthday this year, that's the line I used when asked what I wanted for my present. 

 Yay! Vintage 1952 Mr. Potato Head Set! Potatoes and anthropomorphic attributes kinda became my birthday theme this year.  Makes sense...Potatoes are yummy and everything is more fun with googly eyes.

Hubbs got me a super awesome collection of not only Mr. Potato Head but his usual gang of perishable vegetation: Oscar Orange, Pete Pepper, and Kooky Cucumber. Yes, I am aware that Pete is wearing a dress, heels, and lipstick...He's a transvestveg!

The kit was originally for making garden folks from actual produce. My collection came with all sorts of extra parts from other sets: eyebrows, mustaches, pipes, hats, glasses, and a wig for covering old lady Tater's bald head.

Also included in the box was this insert pamphlet about making "Spud-ettes" such as Bushy Bear and Dinkey Donkey.  The accessories for these guys didn't make it to my set sadly.   I really wanted to make that onion headed Piggly Wiggly.

While constructing these guys with their plastic bodies and pre-punched body sockets is "fun for every member of the family", I decided to try out the original idea of real fruits and veggies.
Here we have Ted "All Ears" Tangerine, Sinead O' Tater, and Andy Rooney Apple.

Shown within the 'How To" guide for making the Mr. and Mrs. PH was this birthday cake serving suggestion.  

Don't mind if I do!

As I mentioned earlier, I went with a potato theme for my birthday. My cake is make from sweet potatoes (recipe below) and I topped it with crushed potato chips. Spudarific!

(p.s. this plastic good luck cockroach is a guest not a pest)

I had a whole evening planned which involved wearing a potato sack dress.

Listening to The Ventures instrumental "Mashed Potatoes".

And gathering the gang for a good old fashioned potato peeling party!

But in the end I went with munching on a big bowl of tater tots and couch potatoed myself while reading " 250 Ways of Serving Potatoes".

Sweet Potato Cake with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
Cake:
1 box yellow cake mix
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons apple pie spice

Frosting:

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease pan with shortening.

In large bowl, beat cake mix, milk, oil, eggs, sweet potatoes and apple pie spice with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Pour into pan.

Bake 34 to 38 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on cooling rack, about 1 hour.

In medium bowl, beat cream cheese and butter with electric mixer on medium speed 2 minutes or until creamy. Beat in powdered sugar, brown sugar and almond extract until desired consistency.  Frost cooled cake.  Store left overs in fridge.  Optional toppings: Crusted potato chips or crisp cooked bacon. 

Here are several links to my past posted birthday shindigs:
Pee-wee Partypalooza
Birthday Hoopla Light Bulb Baking and Cockroaches and Cake
Giving a rat's ass Bday Cake
Yadhtrib Aknow and Snozzberry Birthday Cake