DES MOINES, IA (06/17/2013)(readMedia)-- Master quilter and Iowa native Patrick Lose will offer up his artistic expertise as an instructor in the Fabric and Threads Department at the 2013 Iowa State Fair. "Nothing Compares" to the Fair's daily offerings of Make It and Take It classes and displays of hundreds of creative quilts, clothing items and more.

Lose's classes will offer Fairgoers a hands-on opportunity to create some of his most popular quilt designs. One class will be offered pre-fair on August 7 at 11 a.m. and will last 4 hours. During the Fair, classes will be offered at 9:30 a.m. August 8-11 and 13-16 and will last two hours. There are no registration fees; however, participants will be required to purchase their own supply kits for $25.

With a handful of published books and a lifetime of experience, Lose offers Fairgoers an opportunity to improve their own creative signatures while learning from the very best. Most known for his collection of Timeless Treasures fabric, Lose has developed his personal style working with celebrities like Liza Minnelli and Jane Seymour. His unique designs and quilting kits have received national exposure in publications like Better Homes & Gardens, American Patchwork and Quilting and Country Crafts.

To view a complete schedule including information on daily quilt designs and pre-registration visit iowastatefair.org/daily-events/.

The Fabric and Threads department will offer a wide range of additional Make It and Take It classes each Fair day. Fairgoers may choose from a variety of crafts such as hand appliqué, crochet, embroidery and more. These additional classes have a $10 material fee and will last approximately 1-2 hours. Each session will be held in the Varied Industries Building.

For information on how to enter items in the Fabric and Threads department, visit www.iowastatefair.org/premiumbooks. Entry deadline is July 1.

"Nothing Compares" to the 2013 Iowa State Fair, August 8-18. The Fairgrounds are located at East 30th and East University Avenue, just 10 minutes east of downtown Des Moines. For more information, call 800/545-FAIR or visit www.iowastatefair.org.

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With adventurous food tastes and concerns ranging from personal health to ethical agriculture and livestock practices, more people are exploring alternative diets.

But that's not always easy - or palatable.

"You have paleo and primal diets, pescatarian and raw foods, vegetarian and vegan, and they all have wonderful merits, especially when compared with the processed foods many Americans continue to eat," says Holistic Chef and Certified Healing Foods Specialist Shelley Alexander, author of "Deliciously Holistic," (aharmonyhealing.com).

"My focus is on easy-to-follow healing foods recipes that make delicious, completely nourishing meals. Some will appeal to those who adhere to a strict diet, such as vegan, and all will make people feel noticeably healthier without sacrificing any of the enjoyment we get from sitting down to eat."

Alexander offers five recipes that can be used for any meal of the day or night, including:

• Mango chia ginger granola (raw, vegan): 2 ripe mangos, peeled, cored and sliced in one-inch cubes; 2 cups Living Intentions chia ginger cereal; 2 cups nut or seed milk. Put ingredients in a bowl and enjoy! The cereal is gluten-free, nut-free, and raw- and vegan-diet friendly, and extremely nutritious. Preparation takes five minutes or less and is hearty enough to satisfy appetites the entire morning. The ingredients can be substituted for dietary needs or preferences.

• Portobello mushroom and grilled onion burgers (vegan): Marinade for the mushroom is essential - 2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar; 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil; 1 tablespoon wheat-free Tamari or organic Nama Shoyu soy sauce; 1/8 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika; 1 peeled garlic clove (grated or minced); 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 2 teaspoons organic maple syrup - grade B. The burgers include 4 large Portobello mushrooms - cleaned and patted dry; 1 large white onion (peeled and cut into thick slices); olive or avocado oil to cook mushrooms and onions; 2 sprouted whole grain hamburger buns -toasted; Dijon mustard; ¼ cup baby romaine lettuce - washed and patted dry. Marinate mushrooms and onions for 30 minutes. Drizzle with oil and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes, turning mushrooms halfway through. Serve immediately.

• Wild blueberry smoothie (raw, vegan): 3 cups vanilla Brazil nut milk (there is an additional recipe for this); 2 cups fresh or frozen wild or organic blueberries; 1 peeled banana - organic or fair trade; 2 to 3 cups organic baby spinach; 1 small avocado - peeled and pitted; ¼ teaspoon cinnamon; (optional) a preferred protein powder or superfood. Blend until creamy. Blueberries are an amazing fruit packed with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytonutrients.

• Raw corn chowder (raw, vegan): 4 cups organic corn kernels (best during summer months); 2¼ cups unsweetened almond milk; 1 clove peeled garlic (remove inner stem); 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice; ½ teaspoon smoked sweet paprika; 1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; ½ avocado (peeled and seed removed); unrefined sea salt and fresh black pepper to taste. Blend ingredients and strain; top with corn kernels and diced organic red bell pepper. Among other nutrients, corn provides lutein - an important carotenoid that protects eyes from macular degeneration.

• Dijon honey chicken wings: 1/3 cup Dijon mustard; ½ medium peeled lemon - remove all the white pith; ¼ cup raw honey; 1 teaspoon unrefined sea salt; 2 large, peeled garlic cloves - grated; 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper; 12 whole chicken wings - rinsed and patted dry; ½ teaspoon paprika. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Blend ingredients in a blender, except for wings and paprika, until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove tips of cleaned wings and store in freezer for future stock. Place wings on lightly greased baking dish, sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, place in oven. After 30 minutes baste wings with juices from pan, then brush mustard sauce all over wings, sprinkle with paprika and continue baking for an additional 25 to 30 minutes. Wings should have internal temperature of 165 degrees when done. These are a healthy and tasty alternative to deep-fat-fried wings.

About Shelley Alexander, CHFS

Shelley Alexander has enjoyed a lifelong love of delicious, locally grown, seasonal foods. She received her formal chef's training at The Los Angeles Culinary Institute. Alexander is a certified healing foods specialist, holistic chef, blogger and owner of the holistic health company, A Harmony Healing, in Los Angeles.

Jesse Wierzbicki has fourth straight multi-hit game to go to 9-for-17 with 9 RBIs on home stand

DAVENPORT, Iowa (JUNE 14, 2013) - The Quad Cities River Bandits managed to out-hit the Burlington Bees, 7-5, Friday night, but they left 11 runners on base in a 3-1 loss to the visitors in front of 5,196 at Modern Woodmen Park.

Bees right-hander Patrick Lowery (3-3) allowed a leadoff single by River Bandits center fielder Teoscar Hernandez but only allowed two runners to reach third base in six shutout innings. He gave up five walks and four hits but struck out three batters. River Bandits right-hander Vincent Velasquez (4-3) gave up all three Burlington runs to suffer his first loss in exactly one month.

Burlington (25-37) started quickly against Velasquez, as third baseman Sherman Johnson singled to right-center field leading off the game, and right fielder Kyle Johnson followed with a single to center. Velasquez then walked first baseman Wade Hinkle before striking out designated hitter Andrew Ray. Bees second baseman Chance Ross then bounced a ball back to Velasquez on the mound, but he threw wide of home plate, and catcher Jobduan Morales could not make the catch, as Sherman Johnson scored for a 1-0 lead.

In the fourth inning, Ross drew a leadoff walk, and left fielder Kevin Moesquit was hit by a pitch. Center fielder Chevy Clarke then singled to right field to grow the lead to 2-0. Two batters later, shortstop Wendell Soto added an RBI groundout for a 3-0 advantage. Velasquez completed five innings, allowing three hits, two walks and two earned runs while striking out six batters.

Right-hander Jamaine Cotton started the sixth inning with a 3-0 deficit and retired the first six batters he faced. He also struck out the side in the eighth inning to match a career high with six strikeouts. He allowed a leadoff single in the ninth inning by Clarke, who reached third base but did not score. Cotton tossed four shutout innings and allowed just two hits.

The Bees bullpen opened in the seventh inning with right-hander Joseph Krehbiel, who issued Hernandez a one-out walk before second baseman Austin Elkins hit a single. Designated hitter Miles Hamblin lined out before Wierzbicki hit a two-out RBI single for his second hit of the game. He has four straight multi-hit games and is 9-for-17 with 9 RBIs in the home stand.

With a 3-1 lead, right-hander Kurt Spomer worked around a two-out single in the eighth inning, and right-hander Robert Powell pitched a perfect ninth inning for his second save. The River Bandits left at least one runner on base in each inning except the fourth and ninth - for a total of 11 left on base. Quad Cities (36-30) went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

The River Bandits and Bees continue their series with a doubleheader Saturday. Game 1 begins at 6 p.m. and will feature River Bandits right-hander Daniel Minor (4-1) opposing Bees left-hander Brandon Love (1-3). Quad Cities All-Star right-hander Lance McCullers (3-4) will start Game 2, with left-hander Tyler DeLoach making his Midwest League debut for Burlington. Each game is seven innings.

UP NEXT: "Team Ghost Riders" Cowboy Monkeys will be at Modern Woodmen Park for Saturday's doubleheader. It's also John Deere Night and a Fan Appreciation Saturday presented by CBS4. Gates open at 5 p.m. for the twin bill. Single-game tickets are on sale at the River Bandits box office at Modern Woodmen Park, by phone at 563-324-3000 and online at www.riverbandits.com. Season ticket and mini-plan packages start at just seven games and begin at less than $50. Call a River Bandits account representative today to choose your seats and get the details of our various mini-plan packages.

After 18 days on the road?including a day off in Wabash, Ind., during the derecho that walloped the Midwest this week ?SUNY Oneonta senior Jami Haynes is heading toward a major milestone on her cross-country bicycling adventure: crossing the Mississippi River.

Haynes expects to arrive June 19 in Muscatine, Iowa, where she will cross the river and begin the next leg of her journey to San Francisco. Accompanied by her boyfriend and sister, Haynes, 21, set off May 28 from her home in Central Bridge, N.Y., on a 4,200-mile, cross-country bike trip with two goals: to "have the adventure of our lives" and to raise awareness about the Harvest of Hope Foundation, an organization that provides emergency assistance to migrant workers and their families.

An avid runner and hiker, Haynes got the idea for the "Miles for Migrants" bike tour after Harvest of Hope founder and President Phil Kellerman visited one of her education classes this past semester. Her 20-year-old sister, Jena, signed on for the adventure, and then her boyfriend, Caleb Grippin, 23, joined the team.

"I wasn't very familiar with what a migrant farm worker was and how they contributed to American society, and I was especially touched as a future educator by the support that Harvest of Hope gives to these families and the scholarships that the foundation provides," Haynes said.

The class did a service-learning project to benefit Harvest of Hope, and Haynes kept the momentum going. She and her sister organized a spaghetti supper, several bake sales and a raffle, as well as giving presentations about Harvest of Hope on campus and in the community. "Spreading awareness of the foundation and how it helps migrant farm workers has been extremely rewarding," Haynes said. "The community definitely knows a lot more about the contributions of migrant workers because of this project."

To continue raising awareness, Haynes has been meeting with media outlets along the route and handing out "Miles for Migrants" cards to people she meets. She is also chronicling her adventures throughout the 11-week journey on the blog: www.crazyguyonabike.com/sistahbikers.

The Harvest of Hope Foundation was established in 1997, when Kellerman worked at ESCORT, a migrant education resource center based at SUNY Oneonta. In addition to its affiliation with ESCORT, SUNY Oneonta has operated a College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) since 2001. Created in 1972, CAMP is a federally-funded scholarship program that helps students from migrant and seasonal farm-working families pursue higher education.
ESCORT senior programmer analyst Bob Thomas, a friend of Kellerman's, loaned Haynes and her crew three touring bikes and trailers. Thomas, who completed a cross-country bicycling trip himself back in 1976, was on hand for the send-off Tuesday, offering last-minute tips and advice.

An elementary education major with a concentration in social studies, Haynes will share experiences from her trip this fall as a student teacher at Cobleskill Elementary School.

About Harvest of Hope
Located in Gainesville, Fla., The Harvest of Hope Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c) 3 organization that has been providing migrant farm workers and their families with emergency relief and financial assistance for more than 15 years. As of Oct. 1, 2012, Harvest of Hope had distributed over $1 million to migrant farm workers, seasonal farm workers and their families for severe or life-threatening situations. The foundation's services include health care, housing and transportation assistance; monthly hardship expenses; and even replacement clothing. Harvest of Hope also issues grants to migrant service-oriented organizations, provides migrant students with scholarships and tuition assistance, and dispenses financial aid to migrant farm workers and seasonal agricultural workers throughout the United States.

About  SUNY Oneonta
Established as a state normal school in 1889 and incorporated as a founding member of the State University of New York system in 1948, SUNY Oneonta is well known for its strong academic programs and community service and character-building opportunities. Nearly 20 percent of the student body volunteers through the nationally known Center for Social Responsibility and Community, and service-learning activities are incorporated across many academic disciplines. Recognized by the Carnegie Foundation for excellence in community engagement, the college enrolls 6,000 students in its 70 undergraduate majors and 15 graduate programs.
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