This weekend I plan to try another salsa recipe, in what will now be known as “the quest for heat”. The salsa from last week is still in the fridge, but there is no way it will all be gone before it goes bad. However, over the course of the week, the flavors have gotten much better as it has marinated. It was this little fact that made us think that we really do need to get canning things so when we do find the perfect salsa recipe, we can make a bunch and save it.

Which leads me to my questions for you. Do you can goods? Are there any tips, tools, books, or anything you can think of telling me about, that could help us in our new adventure? I helped a friend can once before, but otherwise I am a total novice, and I certainly don’t want to do it wrong and send us to the hospital.

So, for all of you out there who know about canning (or making salsa), please comment and give advice. We sure do need it!

A little bit about Blog Cabin:

DIY Network’s Blog Cabin is the first ever interactive home-building television series, putting bloggers in control of the design and construction of a waterfront vacation home. Blog Cabin is returning for its second season on 8/14.

Beginning in January of 2008, DIY Network.com invited visitors to vote each day on various aspects of the cabin –while maintaining an ongoing interactive dialogs through DIY Network’s blog, millions logged on to vote on over 40 different design features, from the floor plan to the lighting to the paint colors in each room.

DIY Network’s expert hosts took the blogger suggestions and constructed the house based on the blogger’s specs, and the results will be revealed in this season’s Blog Cabin. DIY viewers can watch the “blog cabin” take shape next month (beginning August 14th) as well as enter online for a chance to win the blog cabin.

Here’s the promo video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WE74SluDQE4
Official Site: http://www.diynetwork.com/blogcabin

Blog Cabin premieres August 14th at 9pm on DIY Network. I got the chance to as Blog Cabin host Ahmed Hassan a couple of questions. Sorry Ahmed, but you didn’t get my last name right, which is just fine because it is a tough one. Thanks for taking time out to answer my questions!

This post is for the Houseblogs and True Value “Look What I Did” contest. You can find out more about the contest by visiting Houseblogs.net, but for now let’s take a trip down memory lane into the DIY files.

When we moved into our home almost 4 years ago, we knew that the first thing we wanted to make over was our kitchen. Why? Well, even though the before photo isn’t awful, what you can’t see is how badly the Formica was peeling up off of the counter top. You also can’t truly see the color and pattern of it either. But aside from the problems, the style of the kitchen just wasn’t our cup of tea.

One thing I had always loved was the look of white cabinets with darker counter tops. So of course that is what we decided to do! We sanded, painted, and primed our hearts out to get our old cabinets looking new. We added new hardware, and even new hinges (which were kind of hard to find actually).

Obviously we tiled the counter top and back splash, which looks worlds better than what was there when we started. True, it wasn’t my dream choice, but it was a super budget friendly option ($200 versus $5000).

But the things you may not notice right away are the new appliances, the new sink (which was deeper than the original sink), and the special way we painted the walls. The walls have a Venetian plaster on them which took 7 steps from start to finish. It was our first time doing anything like it, and we just love the results.

So, there you have it! Our first DIY project as home owners, and by far one of the most dramatic. There are still many things we hope to do to our home, and of course, we are going to do it ourselves!

This is a simple and fun way to add a little sparkle to any table! I used sea shells for an ocean feeling, but I imagine that you could choose any kind of items that were waterproof and that wouldn’t float up.

All you need are a few glass vases, sea shells, floating candles that come close to the same diameter as the vase, and sea glass. Put it all together with a little water, light the candles, and enjoy the effect!

They look really pretty at night, and the glass I got (from the craft store in the floral section) really shines when they are lit in the dark. We are enjoying them on our kitchen counter right now, but they will likely be a centerpiece for a tropical themed BBQ in the future!

Apartment Therapy LA has been tracking my patio furniture project and posted the finished chairs recently. The bistro set needs another coat of paint before they get their newly covered seats, but it’s so nice to see the finished seats on the patio set.

It was such an easy project, just a staple gun and some great fabric, and your good to go! I totally recommend it to anyone who needs to spruce up a seat cushion or two.