You're Invited! The Better Homes and Gardens Cooking Experience!

Better Homes & Gardens is opening the doors of its famed Test Kitchen to host the brand’s first-ever consumer cooking experience. This exclusive, two-day event will kick-off at the Better Homes and Gardensheadquarters in Des Moines, Iowa on October 10, 2014. Guests will enjoy cooking demos from notable chefs and BHG editors, scrumptious meals, tours of the Test Kitchen, a gift bag curated by BHG editors valued at $200 and a limited edition cookbook featuring recipes from the event. Registration is now onlinehere.

“Our 40 million readers look to us each year for advice on fun, fresh ideas to elevate their holiday entertaining, from colorful centerpieces to chic table settings and the star of the table—food,” says Gayle Butler, Editor-in-Chief, Better Homes and Gardens. “This cooking experience gives us a chance to bring our holiday pages to life and invite consumers into our kitchen to engage with editors face to face, meet other entertaining enthusiasts and learn simple and inexpensive ways to make their holiday table shine.”

The weekend of events will kick off with a hearty opening reception and welcome dinner for guests that spotlights trend-forward holiday recipes from the pages of Better Homes and Gardens magazine and favorites old and new from the brand’s iconic Red Plaid Cookbook.

Consumers are also invited to book a seat at the table for the Tastes of the Season Dinner following Saturday’s cooking festivities. This intimate dinner in the Better Homes and Gardens kitchens will give readers a chance to dine and dish with Editor-in-Chief, Gayle Butler, Senior Deputy Food and Entertaining Editor, Nancy Hopkins, Test Kitchen Director Lynn Blanchard, and Contributing Editors Gesine Bullock-Prado and Scott Peacock. The menu features a four-course meal with wine pairings. This Saturday evening dinner is available as a separate ticket price. Seats are limited. To register click here.

Here’s a sample of what BHG has planned for readers during this exclusive, information-packed event:

• Eat the Menu & Lunch Instructor: Scott Peacock

• Scott Peacock is a James Beard award-winning chef and cookbook author, is a southern food expert who brings big flavor to his food. Born and raised in rural Alabama, Scott is the former chef to two Georgia governors, founding chef of Atlanta’s Horseradish Grill, and the former executive chef of Watershed Restaurant in Decatur, Georgia. Scott will teach a hands-on class featuring some favorites from his comfort-filled menu, layered with flavors that are perfect to share at the holiday table. Attendees will learn to make every dish, then eat the results for lunch.

• Magically Delicious Desserts Instructor: Gesine Bullock Prado

• Gesine Bullock-Prado is a master baker and cookbook author of Bake It Like You Mean It and Sugar Baby, who finds joy in demystifying baking challenges for the home cook. Gesine is a regular contributor to BHG and a frequent guest on NBC’s Today Show and CBS’ The Talk. Gesine will share simple steps to create spectacular centerpiece desserts for the holidays or any special occasion that begs for a sweet finish.

• Behind the Scenes at the BHG Test Kitchen with Better Homes and Gardens Editors

• Get the scoop on what happens every day in the Better Homes and Gardens Test Kitchen, where all recipes are tested and approved by BHG editors and culinary professionals. The Test Kitchen is not open to the public, so this is a rare opportunity to experience a behind-the-scenes tour of the nations’ most famous test kitchen. Editors will also offer hands-on experience, covering everything from knife skills to pastry tricks.

• Everything You Need to Know to Cook SLOW with Better Homes and Gardens Editors

• This hip and happening, fast-paced class will showcase 12 gorgeous go-to recipes for holiday gathering, from surprising appetizers to delicious desserts and the ultimate Christmas morning breakfast. Along the way, BHG editors will share the latest tips and tricks for using the slow cooker as well as the latest advancements in slow-cooker technology. The session will finish with design tips for how to make your slow cooker look great on the buffet table. You will be amazed that something so slow can taste so good!