One of my goals for this summer was to teach my son how to ride his bike so he could ride with the big kids at “Camp Kenai” when all his cousins will be here. That week is quickly approaching.
He is more than confident on his trusty strider bike after a million miles down dirt roads and trails, but he has lacked the confidence to make the final push off the ground and pedal forward on his own.
I tried not to push the issue … better to wait for him to make the choice himself with a smile than to force him through fearful tears. He will learn when he’s ready, I reassured myself, and 4 is quite young anyway.
This past weekend his grandma took him out with his pedal bike to practice in a paved lot nearby. Just a few short minutes later she sent me a video of him riding on his own, stopping and starting on his own, assertively declaring, “I can do it by myself.”
With just a little more practice, he will be speeding through the trees with the big kids on the trail.
When he started walking, his world opened in new and exciting ways, and now that he’s biking, his world just got bigger, faster and more thrilling. Even though I have a little heart attack with every wobble, I can’t wait to ride with him.
Fun summer days call for fun summer dinners and these calzones are great after a day trotting alongside a brave little boy. We made two large calzones with this recipe.
Calzones
Ingredients:
For the dough
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon sugar or honey
2 tablespoons active dry yeast
Directions:
Gently stir the sugar or honey into the warm water until the sugar is dissolved. Then stir the yeast in and let it sit for 10 minutes, until bubbly.
In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, garlic powder and salt.
Pour in the water and yeast mixture and use a spoon to mix then switch to your hands to form a dough ball. It will be very sticky at this stage.
Start kneading, sprinkling tiny amounts of flour on at a time until you are able to knead the dough without it sticking too much to your hands. It should still be slightly tacky.
Turn out onto a floured surface and knead vigorously for at least 15 minutes. As you knead, the dough should become smooth and springy. Add tiny bits of flour at a time as necessary to keep the dough from sticking to the counter, but do not let the dough get dry.
Transfer to a lightly greased bowl, cover with a towel and allow to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Cut the dough in half and roll out into rough ovals about 12 inches long.
Spread your sauce (I used arugula pesto) over the dough leaving a 1-inch margin all along the outside.
Add your fillings to just the bottom half of the dough.
Fold the top half down over the fillings and seal the edges.
Use your fingertips to roll the excess dough around the edge to further seal and to create a pretty crust.
Brush olive oil all over the tops of the calzones then use a sharp knife to cut three slits in the top of the crust to allow steam to escape. Sprinkle on some coarse salt and cracked black pepper (optional).
Allow the calzones to rest on the counter for 30 minutes to let the dough rise a little before baking at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until the crust is browned.
Let cool for 10 minutes before serving with a side salad.
Calzones stuffed with arugula pesto and cheese make for a fun summer meal. (Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion)
