One of the difficulties of hard winters like this, besides keeping my chin up, is dealing with the cleanup. Boots in the front hallway, boots by the back door; wet gloves, hats, coats everywhere; sopping throw rugs and carpets in the cars. I keep having to chase after the dog to wipe off her colossal paws before she drags snow all over the house.

I'm so exhausted, I haven't even much wanted to cook.

I decided to clean out my files for a Waiting for Winter to End Sauce, full of flotsam and jetsam. But no snow.

Hie on over to the lobby of the Omni William Penn Hotel, 530 William Penn Place, Downtown, from 5 to 7 p.m. today for a wine-tasting social, benefiting the Three Rivers Center for Independent Living's Dare To Dream initiative. $10. Call Michala Smith at 412-371-7700, Ext. 181.

Finish that and head over to the Grand Hall at the Priory, 614 Pressley St., North Side, where, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. tonight, you can meet Ross Outon, winner of "The Winemakers" competition on PBS. Sample his 45 RPM wine and three others from California's Central Coast. Light hors d'oeuvres. $60 per, 412-224-6302.

From 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, taste old-fashioned birch beer and sarsaparilla at Village Candy, 344 Beaver St., Sewickley, 412-741-1490. Free but you must register by e-mailing birchbeer@villagecandy.net.

Head up to Cook Forest Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for the "Snowman in the Forest" celebration at the ice skating pond. Includes reindeer buggy rides and a chili contest. Call 1-814-744-8407 for details. No charge.

Make a mountain pie, savory or sweet, and explore Pittsburgh's Riverview Park from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday courtesy Venture Outdoors. $5 per person or $20 per family. ventureoutdoors.org or 412-255-0564.

The 16th Blues for Food will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Domenico's Ristorante, Piazza Plaza, Route 19, Cranberry, benefiting the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and featuring no fewer than five bands. $10, children under 12 free, nonperishable food donations welcome. Call 724-553-0515 or 724-776-6455.

Priscilla "Sister" Barnes, founder of Sister Schubert's Homemade Rolls, will be at Market District Settlers Ridge, Robinson, at 11 a.m. Saturday to demonstrate bread recipes. She also will sign her book "Cast Your Bread Upon the Waters," about her life and development of her company.

Author Michael Pollan ("The Omnivore's Dilemma") will speak at 6 p.m. next Thursday at Allegheny College on "The Sun Food Agenda" -- how the shift from sun energy to fossil fuels in food production has affected energy, climate and health care. Afterward he will sign his new book, "Food Rules: An Eater's Manual" (Penguin, $11). Go to allegheny.edu for details.

Penn State Cooperative Extension Service and Washington County Master Gardeners will hold a Spring Gardening Seminar from 8:15 a.m. (registration) to 12:30 p.m. Feb 27 at Trinity Middle School, Washington, Pa. Speakers include Miriam Rubin, author of the Post-Gazette's Miriam's Garden column, and Slow Food co-founder and food writer Virginia Phillips. Workshops include "Herb Encounters," "Child's Garden" and "Outdoor Garden Room." $12, includes two workshops and refreshments. For more information and a registration form, go to washington.extension.psu.edu or call 724-228-6881.

In 200 words or less, tell your Fiesta Dinnerware Collection story (has your family passed it down from generation to generation? Why did you begin collecting it?) by March 20 and you could win two sets of the new color for 2010 before it is released to the public. I recall a turquoise water pitcher sitting on my grandmother's window ledge. Go to homerlaughlin.com for details.

The South Side Soup Contest is Saturday, and as of yesterday morning, only about 300 of the 1,200 tickets were left. "Winter's hottest event" runs from noon to 3 p.m. You pay $12 (or $15 that day if it's not sold out) and give a canned good, then hop from shop to shop sampling soups from neighborhood restaurants. Proceeds benefit the Brashear Association's Food Pantry. Tix: southsidepgh.com or 1-888-71-TICKETS.

Campbell's has reduced the sodium in V-8 and V-8 Spicy Hot to 420 milligrams per 8-ounce glass, to meet government standards. I have always liked V-8 but not the saltiness; the reduced salt version suffers not from the change. However, I received a 12-ounce sample, which is labeled as one serving and has 630 milligrams of sodium, or 26 percent of the daily recommended value. Sodium and sugar sneak up on you when you have not educated yourself. Learn how to read a nutrition label at www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/ConsumerInformation/UCM078889.htm.

Hammacher Schlemmer is selling "The Autonomous Saucier," which is what I thought I was. This device stands in your sauce while you're off doing other things, like cursing snow, and stirs away. Runs on batteries for four hours. Hammacher.com/78402, $39.95.

I wonder if it would stir my favorite thing, pudding?

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