Share Web 2.0

I don’t have experience in web design, but I want to learn to build professional web pages. I know some html, but not much. Is there a cheap, easy to use and professional web design software that I could use easily without paying a lot? Am I asking for too much? Thank you!

My fiance is interested in starting a gossip blog. She is really into the whole journalism thing, so I am thinking about getting her a website and creating one for her. My question is, how do you go about making money having your own blog and is it really a money making hobby that could possibly turn into a full-time stay at home job?

I want to set up a blog for my mom so she can enter her recipies that can be shared by our family members. I also want to make the blog flexible enough such that other family members can also enter their own favorite recipes, rather than just comment on her entries.
Ideally, I’d like to be able to create some top-level categories, and then for each new blog entry, have some sort of a template.
Any help would be much appreciated.

I own a .info web domain hosted on 50webs. I have tried uploading via FTP from Blogger but I keep getting java errors. Is there an easier way of having Blog type software on my website? Or what is your suggestion for the BEST blog site to use that lets you use your own domain as a homepage for your blog.