Good Day Atlanta viewer information August 10, 2020

ATLANTA - East Cobb fitness instructors take classes outside:  Group classes are a tried-and-true method of losing weight, gaining strength and stamina, and making new friends to hold you accountable on your fitness journey.  So what do you do when gathering in large groups just isn’t a good idea?  If you’re a group of East Cobb fitness instructors — you take the class outside!

We spent the morning in East Cobb, getting in a workout with Out/Fit! — a series of “pop-up” outdoor fitness classes created by Metro Atlanta fitness instructor Lisa Astarita.  In response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Astarita left her job at a local gym and created the pop-up series, setting a goal of offering various types of group classes and doing it in a place where participants could safely distance themselves and enjoy the sunshine and fresh air. 

Operating from a private Facebook group, Out/Fit! has gained nearly 300 members since its July launch; the very first pop-up took place on July 16th at Fullers Park, and since then Astarita and her roster of instructors have offered Zumba, strength and cardio, and yoga, all for $10 per class.

We’ll be honest; the Good Day feature team hasn’t had much of a fitness journey over the past few months.  So when we heard about Out/Fit!, we decided it might be time to lace up our sneakers and get in a workout again.  Click the video player to check out our morning in East Cobb, burning some calories and gaining some new fitness buddies!

For more information follow them on Facebook at Out/Fit!

Dr. Neil Winawer from Emory School of Medicine joins us with the latest Coronavirus pandemic news:  For more information on Dr. Neil Winawer or his Coronavirus Q&A on Instagram follow him @neilwinawer. 

Meal Plan Monday recipe from Chef Victoria Shore at Recess:   Meal planning can be difficult add in the stress of planning for when kids go back to school and trying to find creative recipes that they will eat that are healthy.  Chef Victoria Shore joins us from Recess at Krog Street Market with a healthy recipe that taste like bagel bites.  For more information on Recess click here.   For today's recipe see below. 

Pizza Dough (makes enough for 2, 8” pizzas)

1 cup warm water

¾ tsp active dry yeast

½ tsp sugar

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

3 cups bread flour

½ tsp salt

Combine the warm water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Let it sit for 10 minutes until the yeast begins to foam.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour and salt together. Make a well in the middle and add the oil and the yeast mixture. Use your hands to bring the dough together and begin kneading it. Once you have one, shaggy dough ball, transfer to a countertop and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough in it, cover tightly with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for one hour, or until doubled in size.

Topping

3 cups mixed grated root vegetables, such as carrots, turnips, sweet potatoes

1 onion, small diced

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground coriander

2 tsp salt

3 Tbsp tomato paste

1 cup plain yogurt

4 oz mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sweat for 5 minutes, until softened and fragrant. Add the grated root vegetables and continue cooking over medium heat until they are softened, about 10 minutes. Once the vegetables are soft add the salt, spices and tomato paste. Stir until the vegetables are completely coated in the tomato paste and cook 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the tomato paste doesn’t burn. Stir in the yogurt and cook 2-3 minutes more. The mixture should be moist, but not runny. Taste and adjust salt if needed.

Divide the pizza dough into two pieces. Working one at a time, roll or stretch the dough into circles. Place each dough circle onto a parchment-lined baking tray. Divide the topping between the two pizzas and spread it out, leaving a one inch border around the pizza. Tear the mozzarella and scatter it over the top of the pizzas.

Bake the pizza on the middle rack of the oven for 12-18 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Let cool slightly before cutting and ser

Pizza Dough (makes enough for 2, 8” pizzas)

1 cup warm water

¾ tsp active dry yeast

½ tsp sugar

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

3 cups bread flour

½ tsp salt

Combine the warm water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Let it sit for 10 minutes until the yeast begins to foam.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour and salt together. Make a well in the middle and add the oil and the yeast mixture. Use your hands to bring the dough together and begin kneading it. Once you have one, shaggy dough ball, transfer to a countertop and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough in it, cover tightly with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for one hour, or until doubled in size.

Topping

3 cups mixed grated root vegetables, such as carrots, turnips, sweet potatoes

1 onion, small diced

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground coriander

2 tsp salt

3 Tbsp tomato paste

1 cup plain yogurt

4 oz mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sweat for 5 minutes, until softened and fragrant. Add the grated root vegetables and continue cooking over medium heat until they are softened, about 10 minutes. Once the vegetables are soft add the salt, spices and tomato paste. Stir until the vegetables are completely coated in the tomato paste and cook 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the tomato paste doesn’t burn. Stir in the yogurt and cook 2-3 minutes more. The mixture should be moist, but not runny. Taste and adjust salt if needed.

Divide the pizza dough into two pieces. Working one at a time, roll or stretch the dough into circles. Place each dough circle onto a parchment-lined baking tray. Divide the topping between the two pizzas and spread it out, leaving a one inch border around the pizza. Tear the mozzarella and scatter it over the top of the pizzas

Bake the pizza on the middle rack of the oven for 12-18 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Let cool slightly before cutting and serving. 

Mom Blogger Maria Smith gives back to school tips: Many children are gearing up to head back to school. Some are doing virtual learning, while others may be heading back face to face. Mom blogger "Mamalicious Maria" has tips for parents who whether it's for in person learning or virtual.

Tips for in person learning:

• Add hand sanitizer key chains to each backpack.
• Change clothes after school (remember when we had "play clothes"?)
• Remove shoes at the door to not track dirt and viruses through your house.
• Be prepared to go virtual

Tips for virtual learning:

• Have a dedicated space for each child. (TV trays work well since it is hard fo find a desk in the stores now.)
• Keep to a school schedule as much as possible, including bedtimes and meal times.
• Give the kids responsibilities to take some things off your plate. Each of my kids are responsible for making lunch for everyone else once or twice per week. 
• Look for ways to socialize. Maybe it's having a picnic with another family while staying 6+ feet apart. Or play tennis with a friend, keeping to your own side of the net. I have even had "parking lot picnics" where my friends and I pick up take out and sit in our own cars and eat "together". It's as important for parents to socialize as much as it is for kids.

To keep up with Maria, and for more parenting tips follow her on Instagram @mamaliciousmaria or click here. 

Mani Millss talks Halloween costume sales: We're just a couple months away from Halloween, and we're still in a pandemic here in the U.S. One of the biggest Halloween retailers has been seeing a surge in costume buying. The company believes more people than ever will be celebrating this year after being stuck inside for months, plus Halloween is on a Saturday this year. Mani Millss dishes on her thoughts on this new find, and why she believes sales are doing well. To keep up with Mani you can follow her on Instagram @ManiMillss