Fresh scones with curd, bite-size quiche, tea sandwiches, gourmet pastries and pots of tea are the bill of fare Saturday and Sunday at the Victorian Tea Garden, 82 S. 12th St., South Side.

The teas, which feature two sittings at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., cost $20 and will benefit Newborns in Need, a nonprofit organization that donates preemie and newborn clothing to babies in need. For tickets, call 412-823-4272.

Parties at Soergel's

Soergel's Orchards, Wexford, is continuing its Tea Parties tomorrow and every Tuesday and Friday in February -- sittings are at noon and 6:30 p.m.

On the festive menu are fresh fruits, finger sandwiches, soup, gourmet cheese, crackers and a variety of desserts and teas.

Come dressed as you please or dress up from a selection of hats, gloves, fur capes and other fun apparel at Soergel's. Cost is $15. For reservations, call 724-935-1743.

What's cooking at Sweetwater

Sweetwater Cooking, 309 E. Carson St., South Side (formerly Sewickley Cooking Studio) has two upcoming classes:

Breadbaking for Beginners on Tuesday. Learn the basic art of breadmaking from 6 to 10 p.m. Cost is $65.

Valentine Cookies and Treats -- always a popular class -- will be from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 3. Cost is only $25. Call 412-325-2703.

Sweetwater has also started what it calls a Frozen Assets program. Also known as Creative Dinners & More, this inventive idea for preparing family meals has been in Pittsburgh only a few months but is catching on fast.

The premise is this:

You go to a professional cooking facility, select from a varied menu of dishes and prepare a week's worth of dinners in one sitting (or standing as the case may be) with friends and other like-minded folk. The food can be taken home and frozen for later use.

The cost for a session at Sweetwater is $125 for five home-cooked meals for four people. Upcoming dates are Feb. 4 and March 4 from 2 to 5 p.m. and March 14, 6 to 9 p.m. Call the above phone number for details.

Soup event in Waynesburg

Folks in the Waynesburg area who like homemade soup might want to pop over to Waynesburg College between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. today and have a bowl of homemade "Soup for the Soul" in the Stover Campus Center.

Soup and a slice of fresh bread is $10. Proceeds benefit the mission and service trips scholarship fund.

Chefs cook in Fox Chapel

Chefs Andrea Schrenk and Scott Fetty from The Pennsylvania Culinary Institute will prepare and serve a delicious luncheon at 10 a.m. Friday at The Women's Board of Pittsburgh's annual fund raiser at the Fox Chapel Golf Club.

The menu includes Smoked Salmon Lollipops. For details, call 412-826-0423. Proceeds benefit The Neighborhood Academy.

Recipes use teas

Celestial Seasonings asked 10 top female chefs to create recipes using tea. The resulting cookbook, "From Teapot to Tabletop," includes an original recipe from each one, infusing common dishes with deliciously uncommon flavors.

The four-color illustrated cookbook is free and features recipes such as Asian Shrimp Rolls, Moroccan Spiced Apricot Chicken, Lemon Zinger Gingerbread and Pear Ginger Tea Cake.

Information on alternative uses for white, green and black teas is included. For a copy (supplies are limited so don't tarry), call 1-866-211-0374.

In honor of each contributing female chef, Celestial Seasonings has made a donation to WomenHeart: the National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease.

Meat at the tailgate party

Pick up a few simple tailgating tips that can turn your party into an event at the Pittsburgh Indoor/Outdoor Show, today through Sunday at the Pittsburgh ExpoMart in Monroeville.

Giant Eagle meat expert Lenny Oddo will offer suggestions on how to choose the best meat cuts Saturday at 3 p.m. and Sunday at noon. You'll also have a chance to win a Certified Angus Beef tailgating basket.

The last word

"'Oh, for a good cup of tea!' A truly British cry that I echo so often in my travels around four o'clock in the afternoon. Tea is my panacea, my consolation -- if you will, my 'fix.'" -- Diana Kennedy, cookbook author