Culture

Here’s How One Houston Panadería Was Saved Because Of A Teenager’s Tweet

By December 15, 2017 at 3:15 pm

A Houston teenager didn’t want her dad to close his panadería, so she turned to Twitter for help.

Jacqueline “Jackie” Garza said she originally tweeted a plea for help to alert people in the area of her father’s business, She hoped it would compel friends, family, and co-workers to stop by for some of her dad’s delicious food. But the Internet had another idea.

She showed off all the food her father makes, because it is more than just a bakery for pan dulce.

“At first I didn’t think the interaction between the media and the business was going to correlate,” Garza said. “I was like, ‘Okay. Just because it got retweets doesn’t mean a lot of people are coming.’ I was expecting a small change.”

But then Garza’s tweet was flooded with support as people came together for the panadería.

Garza was not expecting the outpour of positivity from the Twitter community, but is so grateful for it.

The support was so overwhelming, in fact, that her father went to the store and stocked up so he could meet the demand.

“My dad was definitely not expecting such a drastic change as the one we got,” Garza said. “He didn’t know that Twitter existed before the tweet went viral but so far he’s handled it very well.”

People started to show up in droves, and posted photos and videos at the restaurant.

The panadería has only been open for two years but things have changed thanks to Garza’s viral tweet.

The tweet and the response, she says, saved her family’s business from the brink.

“I am so proud of my dad and my mom for continuing to keep the art of making pan dulce alive,” Garza said. “I am so grateful to have an opportunity to give the world a taste of my culture. Forever grateful for the support my family and I have received. Keeping tradition alive is our strive.”

As for the social media fame that came with it, Garza says her father is not affected.

“I don’t think my dad knows he’s Twitter famous and I don’t think he understands what that means either,” Garza said.

Congratulations, Jackie. You have shown everyone the power of social media when used for good.


READ: Twitter Users Are Sharing Heart Warming Stories About Parents Who Sacrificed For Their Children By Immigrating To The U.S.

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15 Hilarious Tweets About Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck Getting Back Together

Entertainment

15 Hilarious Tweets About Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck Getting Back Together

By May 11, 2021 at 8:40 pm
BY  | May 11, 2021 AT 8:40 pm
Getty Images/Twitter

In case you haven’t heard, Bennifer 1.0 is back. The famous early-2000s couple has been spotted spending time together in the wake of JLo’s split with A-Rod and Ben Affleck’s split with Cubana Ana de Armas. The news about their reconciliation is surprising the general public, as it’s been 17 years since the Hollywood power couple split up.

Needless to say, many fans have mixed feelings about Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck getting back together, seeing as their 2004 split up was so messy the first time around.

But more than anything, fans have jokes. Here are some of the funniest tweets about Jlo and Ben Affleck getting back together.

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Ben AffleckfunnyJennifer LopezTwitter

Nopales, The OG Ancestral Food We’ve Been Eating Since Waaaay Before Plant Based Foods Became Trendy

Culture

Nopales, The OG Ancestral Food We’ve Been Eating Since Waaaay Before Plant Based Foods Became Trendy

By at 3:54 pm
BY  | May 11, 2021 AT 3:54 pm

I can literally talk food until my babas drip. Don’t judge. The comelón life chose me and I’m not mad at it. Because growing up Latino meant breakfast wasn’t always cereal, and dinner wasn’t always mac and cheese. I grew up con más sabor en mis platillos than most Americans. And, at the time, I didn’t even realize that many of the foods my family was trying to get me to eat were ancestral foods. From chocolate to cocoa and chia to nopalitos, I blame los ancestros for my obsession with food and all the glorious ingredients that have been passed down for generations.

My knees already feel weak, fam, because today I’m gonna be talking nopalitos. Ya me estoy chupando los dedos, thinking back to how I grew up with these babies always in the refri in that Nopalitos jar, ready to be thrown into a sauce or encima de una carne asada. It turns out this soul-feeding food is one of the OG ancestral foods that have been used by our people for thousands of years. Ahí les va un poco de historia:

The Mexica introduced the world to the “fruit of the Earth.”

In Náhuatl, the word for nopal translates to “fruit of the Earth.” I don’t know what the Náhuatl word for “bomb-delicioso” is, but in my opinion, that should also be the name for nopales. And the Aztecs must have felt this way too because one of the most famous cities in the Aztec Empire – Tenochtitlán, the empire’s religious center – was named “prickly pear on a rock.” Iconic.

According to legend, the city was built after an Azteca priest spotted an eagle perched on a nopal plant, carrying a snake in its mouth. The priest, obviously extremadamente blown away by this, ran back to his village just so he could gather everyone to check out this crazy eagle with a snake in its mouth. As they watched, the cactus beneath the eagle grew into an island – eventually becoming Tenochtitlán. I’ll give you 3 seconds to just process that. 1…2…3. Please take more time if you need it. The image of the eagle carrying a snake, its golden talons perched on a nopal growing from a rock, can now be found on the Mexican flag.

Today, we know that the Mexica were right to call nopales the plant of life.

In Mexico, it’s still common to place a handful of nopal flowers in a bath to help relax achy muscles. And nopales are becoming more popular than ever in beauty treatments to help fight aging. But, y’all are too beautiful to be needing them for that, so let’s talk about what’s important — eating them.

There are so many ways you can mix this iconic ingredient into your meals.

We should all be eating our green foods. Your tía, your abuela, your primo, everyone…except your ex. Your ex can eat basura. I said what I said. But, nopalitos are especially important. These tenacious desert plants can be eaten raw, sautéed, pickled, grilled – they’re even used as pizza toppings. Though for some people, nopales – with their spines and texture – can be intimidating. After cutting off the spines and edges, and cutting them into slices, they will bleed a clear slime. But boiling for 20 minutes will take care of that. Or make it even easier on yourself and avoid espinas by buying them all ready-to-go from the brand we all know and love, DOÑA MARIA® Nopalitos.

Check it out, I’m even gonna hook it up with that good-good, because if you’re looking for ways to enjoy your nopales, I got’chu with some starter links to recipes: Hibiscus and Nopal Tacos, Nopal Tostadas, Roasted Nopales con Mole, and Lentil Soup con Nopales.  One of my personal favorite ways to eat them is in a beautiful Cactus Salad, full of color and flavor. Trust. I rate these dishes 10 out of 10, guaranteed to make your babas drip, and when you eat this ensalada de nopalitos, you will remember even your ancestors were dripping babas over this waaay before it was cool to eat plant-based foods.

So let’s give the poderoso nopal the spotlight it deserves by adding it to our shopping lists more often.

Rich in history, mythology, and practical uses, the nopal’s enduring popularity is a testament to its versatility. It’s time to give this classic ingredient the respect it deserves and recognize just how chingon our ancestors are for making nopales fire before plantbase foods were even trending.

Next time you’re at the supermercado, do your ancestors proud and add nopales to your shopping cart by picking up a jar of DOÑA MARIA® Nopalitos. This easy-to-use food will definitely give you a major boost of pride in your roots. Viva los nopalitos bay-beh!

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culinary historyCulturedietfoodHistoryNopalesplant basedrecipes