Yesterday was one of our favorite competitions on campus. It wasn't basketball or baseball, but the Lego FIRST Robotics competition, middle school division. I don't remember now how we stumbled on it a few years ago but Alex is a devoted fan. We sit in the basketball arena for hours watching these teams and their robots. Alex is partial to the high schoolers, mainly because their robots are bigger and it's easier to see the action. The middle schoolers' robots are usually smaller than a bread box, and they compete on tables that are 4' x 8'. They get a kit with a battery and remote control stuff and they have to build a robot that will do a series of tasks - picking things up, moving them around, etc. They make the competition really fun, though, and all the schools really get into the spirit of things. They have names, logos and slogans for each team and wear matching t-shirts and accessories. The crowd is a hoot, too. They'll wear their team's colors and have signs, cheer for them, etc. Half of the ball court is for competition and the other half is the "pit" where each team has their table with supplies, project information and spare parts. We go through that when the action slows down. We made it until noon this year, I think so Alex could eat an overpriced hot dog. The older kids' meet will be in a few weeks and we definitely want to see that, as well.
Something new this year at the competition: reenactors wearing Star Wars' storm troopers costumes. Turns out they are reenactors. (I guess not historical reenactors, like our friends who play dress-up and do the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War. Unless, of course, you believe the whole Star Wars intro: "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..." And, I am proud to say - I had to look that up online. I DID NOT know it by heart.) Alex was fascinated by all the storm troopers, Jedi knights, etc. It kind of freaked me out. These are not supposed to be good guys. I did get a picture of Alex with a storm trooper but there was a miscommunication between me and my phone, so it didn't come out. They were very detail-oriented, with a banner announcing that they were the 501st Squadron of the storm troopers. I will make no more comments on how they spend their free time.
Ah, my recipe for the week. Due to a overstock of bananas we had a few that were extremely ripe and I decided to make banana bread. The problem is after being his favorite food for the first 18 months to 2 years of his life, Alex decided he could not possibly eat bananas. Ever. And as far as I know, he has not. So, when Art came through to ask if I was making banana bread, I told him no, I am not. I am making Super Secret Undercover Banana Bread from my Cake Mix Doctor cookbook:
Super Secret Undercover Banana Bread (aka Ripe Banana Loaves)
1 package plain yellow cake mix
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 very ripe medium bananas, peeled and mashed
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup canola oil
3 large eggs
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease two loaf pans and dust with flour. Shake out excess flour and set aside. Place the cake mix, brown sugar, mashed bananas, buttermilk, oil, eggs and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat on medium for 2 minutes more, scraping the sides again if needed. The batter should be well blended and the bananas should be well pureed. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and place them in the oven.
Bake the loaves until they are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of each comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove pans from the oven and place them on racks to cool for 20 minutes. Invert each loaf onto a rack to cool on its side for 30 minutes or more. Slice and serve.
Note: They smell delicious. I really couldn't get away with saying there are no bananas in it if Alex was over 5. Maybe the under 5 set and those who didn't have a sense of smell.
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