(DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry Branstad today signed the following legislation into law:

House File 489: An Act relating to various matters involving insurance and the insurance division of the department of commerce, providing penalties, and including applicability and effective date provisions.

House File 599: An Act relating to beginning farmers by modifying the agricultural assets transfer tax credit, providing a custom farming contract tax credit, and terminating the agricultural loan assistance program, and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions.

House File 602: An Act relating to transportation and other infrastructure-related appropriations to the department of transportation, including allocation and use of moneys from the road use tax fund and the primary road fund.

House File 603: An Act relating to and making appropriations to certain state departments, agencies, funds, and certain other entities, providing for regulatory authority, and other properly related matters.

House File 614:  An Act appropriating federal funds made available from federal block grants and other non-state sources, allocating portions of federal block grants, and providing procedures if federal funds are more or less than anticipated or if federal block grants are more or less than anticipated and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions.

House File 620: An Act relating to the economic development financial assistance duties and powers of the economic development authority by authorizing and creating fees, affecting the aggregate tax credit limit for certain economic development programs and the tax credit for the endow Iowa tax credit, making appropriations, and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions

House File 640: An Act relating to liquids which are flammable or combustible, by providing for the storage, marketing, and distribution of such liquids, providing for the marketing and distribution of liquids classified as motor fuel, including a conventional blendstock for oxygenate blending, and blended and unblended gasoline and diesel fuel, extending the period for determining the rates of the motor fuel tax based on calculating the distribution of ethanol blended gasoline and other motor fuel, including fees and penalties, and including effective date provisions.

House File 649: An Act relating to the liability of a land holder for the public use of private lands and waters for a recreational purpose or urban deer control.

Senate File 435: an Act relating to appropriations and making appropriations involving state government entities involved with agriculture, natural resources, and environmental protection.

Senate File 442: An Act relating to appropriations to the judicial branch.

Branstad and Reynolds plan to discuss 2013 legislative accomplishments including enacting significant property tax reform, transformational education reform and a modernizing of the Medicaid system that focuses on making patients healthier while protection Iowa taxpayers.

The following events are open to the public:

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

• 1 p.m. Gov. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Reynolds hold Benton County "Our Opportunity. Our Iowa. Our Results." town hall meeting. Vinton City Hall - Council Chambers, 110 West Third Street, Vinton, IA

• 3 p.m. Gov. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Reynolds hold Tama County "Our Opportunity. Our Iowa. Our Results." town hall meeting, King Tower Café, 1701 East 5th Street, Tama, IA

Friday, June 28, 2013

• 1 p.m. Gov. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Reynolds hold Mahaska County "Our Opportunity. Our Iowa. Our Results." town hall meeting, Smokey Row, 109 South Market Street, Oskaloosa, IA

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.