I am seriously awake for this

First thing, must put on a strong pot of coffee.

A Toast to Earth Day

Almost as long as Earth Day has been celebrated, the masses have known that eating local is healthy and environmentally friendly. But what about drinking locally? Welcome to the Niagara Wine Trail USA. Nestled between Niagara Falls and Buffalo, award-winning wineries sit amongst sleepy farms and pastures, all within a brief drive.

The Winery at Marjim Manor, at 7171 East Lake Road (Route 18) Appleton, NY 14008, produces fruit wines and folklore. A former convent, the property the mansion sits on was originally purchased from the Holland Land Company. Although the majestic home has been turned into a reception hall and winery, it's been reported that some of the old souls still linger. Just don't tell William Shakespeare, one of the resident cats.

At a recent tasting, some traditional upstate New York wines were tried, but they are always a little too sweet for me. However, blueberries, plums and pears soon danced on my tongue. If you go, True Blueberry ($20.95) is great for vegetarians because of it's compliment traits to vegetables, especially eggplant. Followed by an oaky cab, and then Pear Made in Heaven ($7.95). The first wine made at Marjim, it is not only a bargain but a light, crisp wine, perfect for humid WNY summer nights on the porch.

Marjim Manor

There are almost 15 wineries on the Niagara Wine Trail and guided tours are available. Coming this summer, Gust of Sun Winery and Long Cliff Winery will be open for business. Don't forget Niagara Reusable Wine Bags and recycle your bottles when you're done.

If you decide to stay the night, don't miss the latest must visit overnight destination. Brookins Inn & Suites is modernized old world charm, at 2697 Maple Ave., Newfane, NY. Decorated in a crisp French country style, this inn is brimming with history. Built in 1893, the inn was built by by Delisle Brookins, who was also responsible for the Olcott Beach Hotel. In it's heyday, the hotel served as the stage for such big bands as Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller and Louis Armstrong. Today at the Inn on Maple Ave., the proprietors, Beverly and Dan Mandaville, make sure eco-friendly soaps are placed in every room. Environmentally and wallet friendly, with quaint surroundings, all tucked away on the Niagara Wine Trail.

Western New York is known to already be home to one wonder of the world, but after a vacation to Niagara Wine Country, you'll see this spectacular attraction is something to be discovered.

Carnival of Fat Tuesday

There’s no place like Mardi Gras in New Orleans, but when you can’t make it to Bourbon Street for Fat Tuesday, it is possible to recreate Cajun delights wherever you hail from.

Start out with a refreshing shrimp and greens salad, with a dressing twist.

From the Food Network New Orleans-Style Italian Salad

A bead-worthy dish is also from the Food Network, and it’s a slow cooked jambalaya.

Po boy sandwiches are a Bayou-area staple and if oysters or shrimp aren’t available, try catfish or roast beef.

Ingredients

Vegetable oil, for frying

½ cup (1 stick) salted butter

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 long fresh French bread baguettes

1 catfish fillet

Sea salt and black pepper

1 cup whole milk

1 large range free egg

1 cup whole wheat flour

Pinch cayenne pepper

Sliced pickles

Tabasco sauce

½ lemon

1 lb. cooked roast beef

Zatarain’s Creole mustard

Shredded lettuce

1 vine-ripped tomato

Directions

Cover the bottom of a frying pan with oil

Preheat the over to 250 degrees F

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and infuse.

Cut the bread in half and brush the inside and top with the butter. Stick in the over for 5 minutes.

Season both sides of the catfish with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, mix the egg, flour, cayenne, salt and pepper, and dip the fish using a fork and coat both sides.

Dip the fish in the hot oil. Brown on both sides and let cool on a plate with paper towel to soak the grease.

Slice the bread into finger-food sizes. Place a pickle across the bottom half of the bread and lay the fried catfish on top. Spoon some mustard, sprinkle lettuce and a tomato slice, followed by sprinkles of hot sauce. Close with a toothpick.

Roast beef po boys can be constructed using the same assembly. To prepare, warm the roast beef in a frying pan and add water to make more auju sauce. If not thick enough, add flour.

Taking the Practice Off the Mat

It seems like I am always “inquiring”. Asking questions, gathering information and trying to come to a rationale conclusion, is a formula I’ve been administrating in my career for over a decade, but it wasn’t until recently, when I refrained from getting on a boat, did I start to second guess my life.

Coby Kozlowski, M.A., E-RYT, is a yogi, artist and life coach. At her recent Yoga Leadership class at Hand to Heart Yoga in Buffalo, NY’s Elmwood Village, I was awakened to the fact that I would not fight for my survival. Call it my open and calm energy mixed with a know-it-all sense (a work in progress) or just a resistance to role-playing; my laissez-faire attitude shocked me. It could also be exhaustion from embarking on my 14th move, but energy is life.

I never wanted to move to the “forgotten part” of Massachusetts last year, but I felt that I had to. Ironically, Kozlowski hails from the tiny town in Western Massachusetts where I lived.

Not one to shy away from a challenge or newness, I took the plunge and left New York for an area where I knew no one, but realized it was a mistake from the start. I appreciate the amazing friendships and a love for practicing yoga that came out of my time there, and like so many things in nature I came to the realization that life is self-correcting.

Remove any belief system; what society says and accepting the self-inquisition of what feels correct can be very empowering. Hearing the nay saying demons that creep into our inner thoughts, or those that come from someone else, can take a toll. What is important to recognize is, many times it’s that other person’s “stuff” not yours. But how do you take those thoughts that aren’t your own? We simply recognize this and don’t have to believe them. Certainly if more than one person is giving the same critique, it may be time to pause and take action.

Yoga is the practice tolerating the consequences of being you, according to Kozlowski, and finding that equilibrium is the challenge. While it is also about full expression, with twists and turns, so is life or else it would be a flat line.

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony,” Mahatma Gandhi, Indian philosopher and political leader

Knowing when to stay, is when your call to something is that strong. Being authentic and accountable (a process), calm, pausing for the urges, are all going to surround your “calling”.

As humanity evolves, so do our individual lives. So, what are you and what do you want to be? What is the impact you think you have on this world? What is your actual impact?

Coming up with a self-mantra can help one start to answer these questions. It can take time or it can hit you all at once. I would like to leave the world better than how I inherited it. How do I achieve this? No idea, but it’s comforting to know that I have this whole “wild and precious life” to figure it out.

What would you grow?

It’s that time of year. Garden stores are bringing out their patio sets and gardeners are plotting their patches for seed planting. Below are some of my favorite container and garden plants to plot for the upcoming season.

HERBS

Most varieties of herbs are practically foolproof and can even be grown in pots. From mint leaves in a thirst-quenching Mint Julep, sage on grilled chicken, to dill on salmon; herbs change the flavor of dishes and drinks.

Sage

BEETS

Of all the root vegetables, beets are my favorite. They are easy-to-grow, sturdy plants and can be stored all winter long in a root cellar or closet. Preparing them is easy as well, they can be pickled or roasted with salt and pepper; the temporary finger stains are worth it.

WILD RASPBERRIES

Picking them brings back childhood memories, and the sweet and tart flavor on a hot summer day is refreshing. Finding them is like discovering a treasure.

PEAS

I love to pick them out of the garden and eat them raw.

Brinner

The hardest part about making breakfast for dinner is the number of options one has to prepare. From bacon to biscuits choices are abundant and tasty.

Bacon and sesame seeds

At the most recent Cooka Nostra cookbook club meeting, the group decided to go with a theme instead of focus on one book. The turnout was sweet, savory and economical.

For a variety of reasons, we loved eating typical morning foods for dinner, aka “Brinner”.

Jennifer said she liked it because it’s a different perspective to a meal.

I like it because it brings back memories of a host family in Dublin, Ireland who used to serve omlettes for dinner; something I occasionally do today.

The turnout was great and the front-runners from our evening were the frittata, fruit and dip, and Bloody Mary’s.

Lynn has been making her non-recorded family frittata for years, but she admitted to using Giada De Laurentiis’ recipe as a guideline and added some of her own blend of ingredients.

“I would normally use asparagus, but I thought spinach and mushrooms would be a good winter alternative and I typically use Romano cheese, but this time I tried Asiago,” Lynn said.

For the special occasion she also added prosciutto!

Julie stuck with a Paula Deen recipe and adjusted the ingredients to make it less fattening. Not only was the fruit tray and dip a great way to start the meal, it was delish to nosh on while playing cards and chatting. For the complete recipe click here.

Chocolate cupcakes with bacon - brilliant!

(Chocolate covered strawberries, not too bad either).

A spicy Bloody Mary is great in the morning or at night, and I like to make them spicy. Starting with the usual serving of vodka (Belvedere or Grey Goose recommended) and fill the glass with Clamato juice and ice. Season with salt, pepper, fresh dill, and four dashes of Tabasco sauce. Garnish with a slice of lemon or lime.

“The dill makes it!” Laura said.

You’re invited

Sunday is like a holiday to many people. It’s that one night (day for some E! viewers) that we leave the doldrums of a Northeast winter behind and bring our sun-deprived eyes to the golden coast. It’s Oscar® night and whether you have a faux red carpet to walk down or you’re going to be watching it from the comfort of a couch, champagne is in order.

You don’t have to attend the Vanity Fair party, to party like the stars, but no matter where you find yourself on this annual occasion, it is important to know how to open a bottle of bubbly.

Patrick Watson of Brooklyn Wine Exchange is here to avoid any embarrassment or breaking of a family heirloom. Thanks to Daily Candy.

It doesn’t have to be Moet, anything that tastes good to you. Veuve Clicquot is nice, but still on the pricey side. Andre actually has a very tasty and non-headachy strawberry (any leftover makes for great champagne cupcakes).

Cheers! Pretend you’re amongst the celebs. Colin Firth will surely be raising a glass. Natalie Portman, probably not so much. I like to channel Grace Kelly.

Now back to my Oscar® picks . . .