The Second Annual Festa Italiana Will be starting March 9th, click below if you want to get in on this great Festa at either or
This is something I make for myself and my friends all the time. When espresso based coffees became all the rage, I went out and bought myself a small inexpensive espresso maker. I used it for several years, but it was a bit of a hassle to get the milk to steam and foam just right, and after awhile the machine just wouldn't produce a good shot. So I gave up and bought my drinks. As my children grew up and began to love coffee, the cost of purchasing our drinks was getting very pricey. So I contemplated a high end machine. Then through all my procrastinating I began to recognize some of those old school espresso pots showing up in my local T.J.s So I purchased one and gave it a shot. (no pun intended ha ha) I found it was easy to use. It did not take up any space on my limited counters, and the price was right. For about $20.00 you can purchase a stainless steel stove top espresso maker that is simple to use and makes perfect shots every time. For the foam all you need is another simple product that takes up little space and works like a charm. It is a traditional Italian hand pumped frother. I love being low tech and not always needing to have a fancy machine. I have even given up my coffee maker for a simple French Press.
Here is my basic equipment for a great drink.
You fill the reservoir with water to just under the steam escape valve seen on the left.
I fill my basket with Costco's Kirkland Espresso Blend (roasted by Starbucks) and tap down gently.
Place the espresso pot on high heat. Make sure it is screwed together nice and tight. Then you need to quickly assembly the rest of your ingredients. The pot takes only a few minutes to get to the right temperature to force the hot water up through the grounds into the top reservoir. At this point you must move quickly. It is important to use the shots right away and not let them sit in the pot once it is done. So I try to have my milk already to go.
My pot makes four shots. On the left I am making a straight shot for a single espresso. The two larger mugs are for a latte, and a cappuccino. I put in my syrups first. For my favorite Cinnamon Dulce Latte, I use one pump of Dulce de Leche (DaVinci brand) and one pump of cinnamon syrup. For a double tall (two shots) I add an extra pump of the Dulce. Now you can adjust this according to taste. I do like my coffee strong and not too sweet. 
This is my milk frother. I like this one because it is ceramic and therefore sturdier than the glass ones I have seen around. I fill this 1/3 of the way up with cold 1% milk. It takes maybe 6-8 pumps to froth the milk. Then I remove the frother part, and place the ceramic mug in the microwave for less then a minute. At this point it is critical to watch and make sure the foam doesn't rise over the top. Just when it about hits the top of the mug, stop the microwave.
There are some timing issues here. You want to pour some of the hot milk into the cups before the shots are done. Adding the espresso to the milk first prevents them from sitting and being what they call "burned shots". I have learned this from two of my kids who have worked high school and college jobs as barrister's. That by the way has proven to be a nice savings as family members get a discount! Add your shots to the milk, give it a stir then pour in the rest of the milk. At the end top off with the delicious foam thick and heavy for a cappuccino, and just a light touch for a latte.
From left to right we have an espresso, cappuccino, and a latte. 
The very final touch for me is always a fresh grating of nutmeg....mmmmmm...delish!
The very top picture was my attempt at foam art...I was going for a heart, and I got lips :D
If anyone out there knows how to do foam art...please let me know :>
Up date on the milk frother:
The name of the frother is Cappuccino Creamer Frabosk Italy
http://www.studiolx.com/frabosk-faenza-porcelain-creamers-17912.html
The above url was the cheapest I could find it on a quick search of the web...$24.00 sounds a bit much???
My sister Knitting Mania picked it up for me from a shop in Fresno, CA. As I recall they were very reasonabley priced. I think you could use a glass one to pop in the micro wave. I see those at places like T.J. Max's, Tuesday Mornings, and Ross.
I know I have shared this before. Lately though I have been getting a lot of comments on my grand daughter's photos. So I thought I would give an update. She is a beautiful little girl for sure. I must tell you that her pictures are extra amazing because of the work of her mom who is turning into quite the photographer. Last spring she got a very nice camera, the software and computer to go along with it for her graduation gifts from various family members. She started out just wanting to take some of her own shots of P.T. Really good photographers were so expensive. So she thought she could do it herself and get what she really wanted. Well before she knew it, all her friends...even those with the exact same camera, wanted her to take pictures of their own children. Now she has started a very nice little part time business to supplement their income while she is so blessed to stay at home with P.T. Here is a peek at some of her most recent work.
More of her work can be seen on her 
A walk in the garden today...I could not get her to stand still long enough to get a shot of her face. She was very busy...walking all over the place.
In doing some research for this post I just found out some shocking news...
You each were given a number in the order you entered the contest. Then I just rolled the dice.
They moved last fall to the great big state of Texas. Pastor Tom is serving with John Paul Jackson at 
Feel free to check out both their blogs @ 
