I've got an espresso machine!!!

That's right, no more paying ridiculous prices at Starbucks anymore. No more visiting coffee houses and indulging in a false sense of artsiness. I've got my own espresso machine and it works like a charm.

My girlfriend works at a kitchen appliance store (fellow foodies eat your heart out ;) and she gets anything she wants at wholesale cost. So we've got a new 9 piece set of pots and this beautifull Breville Café Roma espresso machine.

Though it'll take a bit of tinkering since the machine does not automatically pull one shot of espresso, I'm already getting the hang of it. My espresso so far is a bit to liquid and I can't attempt any latte art. I don't know if anyone has any tips but so far the milk just blend into the espresso like it would in coffee. Do I need to make the shot shorter? Should I pack the grind harder? Anyways, I don't know.

P.S. If anyone has home recipes for fun lattes or cappuccinos such as pumpkin spice, gingerbread, eggnog or others, please share....As you see, all I've got so far is a caramel latte.