A Really Good Espresso

There is yet another birthday-related loose-end I have yet to tie up. My official birthday present from the boys and myself: my very own espresso machine, plus a bright orange miniature cup and saucer with which to use in it.

All of this came from the 60 percent off clearance table at Tuesday Morning. We  saw the espresso machine at that particular store on a different day but with a much higher price tag, and after the husband did some internet research to make sure the company and model would make a good cuppa joe, we went back out to the same store expecting to pay a lot more money. Then, there it was, sitting there at 60 percent off. The cheapskate in me (which is a substantial portion of my personality) swelled with happiness.

What's more, true to the research, the machine does a good job. To make my first home-brewed espresso, I used grounds from the Gevelia espresso blend. Gevelia is my almost-exclusive brand for coffee. Their grounds never make a burnt coffee and always has a smooth taste.

I'm not a big fan of plain black Cafe Americano. I don't really enjoy coffee by itself. However, adding milk to plain coffee in the American sense, it's a bit watered down. Thus, up to now, unless I paid the price for a coffeehouse beverage, I had to mix my beloved Gevelia Chocolate Mocha coffee with a vanillla creamer (and this is still what I do at work) to create a coffee with a flavor I enjoy drinking.

My real coffee love, though, is the cappuccino, which pairs frothy milk with a bold espresso, allowing me to taste both flavors in equal measure. Now, for the first time in my life, I can make it at home. What's more, I can use the milk froth function on the espresso machine to make my son foamy hot chocolate, which is an added bonus we both enjoy.

Cheers.