ElTarotMx

Latonería: The Art of Tin and Brass Crafting (and Why Everyone Confuses It with “Lataría”)

23/05/2025
Este ángel fue creado con la técnica tradicional de latería

Latonería: What It Is, How Brass Is Worked, and Its True Meaning
—or the art of shaping tin sheets…

 

🔨 Looking for a “latonería” workshop?

Latonería (or hojalatería) is the craft of working with brass (copper + zinc alloy) and tinplate (steel coated with tin). Here’s everything you need to know —including the story behind my brass angel (pictured above), bought at the León Fair in Guanajuato, Mexico.

📚 What does the Royal Spanish Academy say?

“latonería (from lata, ‘tin’):

  1. A collection of food cans.

  2. In Andalucia and Latin America: hojalatería (tinsmithing).”

So, latonería is where tin and brass are crafted. My angel? Born in a latonería.

🛠️ What is latonería? Definition and uses

 

It’s the traditional craft of shaping brass and tinplate into:

  • Decor: Angels, crosses, candlesticks.

  • Utensils: Pots, pitchers, baking molds.

  • Tools: Funnels, gutters.

  • Architecture: Roof ornaments, weathervanes.

🔧 How it’s done:

  1. Cutting: With tinsmith’s shears.

  2. Shaping: Hammered over anvils.

  3. Soldering: Joined with tin.

  4. Polishing: Buffed to a shine.

🌎 History and tradition

  • A colonial-era craft in Latin America.

  • In Spain, linked to lanterns.

  • Today, a dying art —except in places like Zacatecas, Mexico, where it’s used for religious ex-votos.

Why do people confuse latonería with lataría?

 

(Or: How I spent years arguing with my mom over grammar)

The RAE defines latir (“to beat,” like a heart) but not later —yet 99% of Spanish speakers say “me latería” instead of “me latiría.”

 

⚔️ The Great Debate:

  • My mom (Team Grammar): “It’s ‘latiría’! ‘Later’ isn’t even a verb!”

  • Me (Team Real World): “But 117,000 Google results say ‘latería’! Language evolves!”

💡 The verdict?
Like latonería reshapes metal, speakers reshape language. The RAE eventually accepts popular usage (e.g., “okupar” with a *k*, “bloguero”). So, will “latería” stick? Stay tuned.

🎭 A linguistic rollercoaster

From “cantinflear” (to babble nonsense) to “googlear” (to Google), the RAE resists —then surrenders. My favorite?

“okupar (with a *k*, because rebellion):
To squat in an empty building.”

Moral? If millions say “latería,” it’ll say latir in the dictionary someday. Until then: ¡Inguesú! (Also not RAE-approved.)

A Song of Ice and Fire

23/05/2025
Canción de hielo y fuego

A Song of Ice and Fire

I was pregnant when I started watching Game of Thrones, the show that had half the world obsessed. But I couldn’t handle all that graphic violence with a baby in my belly. So instead, I picked up the first book at the Central State Library of Guanajuato, Wigberto Jiménez Moreno. The series is called A Song of Ice and Fire.

Then my maternity leave began. And since I never got a library card, I downloaded the book as a PDF (poor me!).

For the rest of my leave, I watched every single Adam Sandler movie. From his early roles as a side character (like the ridiculously stupid Airheads, with that ugly Brendan Fraser guy) to the mind-numbingly boring The Cobbler. Heck, I even rewatched Jack and Jill… No wonder my poor laptop chose a quick death. One day, it just refused to turn on. Poof.

I downloaded the first book of A Song of Ice and Fire.

After finishing it, I tried reading a bunch of other books. But I abandoned them all halfway: Norwegian wood by Haruki Murakami, A Man in Full by Tom Wolfe (and I even suffered through I Am Charlotte Simmons again just because I was too lazy to find another book)…

So after The Sweetest Dream by Doris Lessing and Brothers by Yu Hua (a masterpiece you just can’t put down) and Don Quixote… I couldn’t read anything that wasn’t A Song of Ice and Fire / Game of Thrones.

When my laptop died (thanks, Adam Sandler), I started using the forgotten tablet my husband gave me like ten Christmases ago. Honestly, it’s the only reason I survived months without a computer!

So I kept reading and downloading the remaining four books in the series:

  • A Clash of Kings,

  • A Storm of Swords,

  • A Feast for Crows, and

  • A Dance with Dragons.

Of course, not all of them are equally gripping.

Once they start introducing new characters like the Krakens or those sand snakes, you lose interest because you can’t keep track of who’s who —and really, you only care about two or three people (I love the Lannisters, such a karmic soulmate fairy tale). At first, you adore the Khaleesi, but after five books, she turns into Dumbteesi, and all you want is to smack some sense into her thick skull.

I had no idea what to read next that I wouldn’t abandon halfway: The Lord of the Rings wasn’t available in my tiny home library, The Hobbit was… BUT I got used to reading comfortably on my tablet, which I later replaced with an Amazon Kindle —no more hauling around three kilos of bound paper.

Low Calorie Pancakes: Easy, Quick, and Guilt Free Recipe!

27/05/2025
Low calorie pancakes. Hot cakes bajos en calorías

Low Calorie Pancakes for Weight Loss (Only 150 Cals!) – My 22-Lb Success Recipe

Craving pancakes but watching calories? These oatmeal & All-Bran pancakes helped me lose 22 lbs (without starving!). Try my easy, high-fiber recipe— ready in 10 mins!

Can you eat pancakes and still lose weight? OH YES YOU CAN!

My low-calorie oatmeal pancakes (150 calories!) helped me drop 22 lbs in 4 months —and without giving up flavor.Believe it or not.

Here’s my not so secret recipe, perfected with All-Bran for extra fiber. Or you can ditch the All-Bran and stick to oats.

Why These Pancakes Work for Weight Loss?

How These Pancakes Boost Metabolism…


    • High fiber (All-Bran + oats) keeps you full longer.



    • Low sugar (compared to traditional pancakes).



    • Protein-rich (egg + milk combo stabilizes blood sugar).


Add a comparison table:

Ingredient Traditional Pancakes This Recipe
Calories per pancake ~250 cal 150 cal
Fiber 1g 5g
Sugar 10g 3g (natural from fruit)

Low-Calorie Oatmeal & All-Bran Pancakes (Ready in 10 Mins!)

 

Blend these weight-loss-friendly ingredients:


  • ⅓ cup whole-grain pancake mix (or oat flour for gluten-free)



  • ⅓ cup rolled oats (not instant!)



  • ⅓ cup All-Bran cereal (for extra fiber)



  • 1 egg (keep the yolk for nutrients!)



  • ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk (or light milk).


In the picture is my final result: 3 low cal pancakes for an original birthday cake! It was my husband’s 50th birthday and I wanted to cook him a pancake birthday cake!

Tips for Even Lighter Pancakes


  • Use sugar-free syrup.



  • Zero-calorie cooking spray.



  • Freeze for quick breakfasts.


Tried my low calorie pancakes for weight loss? Tag me on social media @eltarotmx (X: @todomepasa) with your low fat pancakes pics! I’ll feature my favorites.

My healthy pancake recipe is perfect for weight loss —fluffy, filling, and just 150 calories each! Just don’t bing-eating on them! Your house is not an all-inclusive resort…

Low calorie oatmeal pancakes for your diet

 My Famous Weight-Loss Recipe!

I promised I’d share how I lost weight without diets, pills, supplements, or nutritionists. Turns out, my diet oatmeal pancakes helped me drop 10 kg (22 lbs) in just four months before vacations —plus around 5 jeans sizes! I wasn’t even aiming for a drastic weight loss (I liked my curves!), but eating healthy and exercising 6x a week boosted my metabolism like crazy.

For now, here’s my upgraded high-fiber, diet-friendly pancake recipe —now with All-Bran for extra nutrition!

 

Why These Pancakes Work for Weight Loss

 

My first time trying diet pancakes was years ago at a government cafeteria (where meals cost almost nothing—lucky bureaucrats!). Over time, I tweaked the recipe: swapped half the flour for oats, and now I’ve added All-Bran for even more fiber.

 

Oatmeal & All-Bran Diet Pancakes

 

Blend in this order (start with milk to avoid clumps):

– ⅓ cup pancake mix 

 (I used regular mix this time, but light/whole-grain works too.) 

– ⅓ cup oats 

 (Use plain, whole oats —no instant/flavored kinds!) 

– ⅓ cup All-Bran 

 (The red-box “Original Extra Fiber” is best.) 

– 1 egg 

 (Any color! I don’t waste yolks—nutrients matter more than fat.) 

– ¾ cup light milk 

 (Skim or lactose-free works. If using low-fat milk, treat yourself to real butter guilt-free!) 

 

Cooking Tips 

  1. Lightly butter the pan to prevent sticking.
  2. Cook until bubbles pop, then flip. (Be careful with small pans —they burn fast!) 
  3. Top with fruit (I used banana + agave honey from Guanajuato).
  4. Add 2 slices of low fat Philadelphia cream cheese (6g fat—worth it!).

 HEB stores sell a near-zero-fat alternative. 

  1. Best with strawberries or blackberries !

 Try it and tell me how yours turns out! 😊

 

The Vigilante

20/05/2025
El Justiciero

The Vigilante: Killing in Self-Defense in Mexico

By: Héctor Juárez Lorencilla.

 

Mexico has crowned its new folk hero: “The Vigilante”—the Lone Ranger of buses and taco stands, the Zorro of highways. Truth is, most citizens cheer this bald man’s unbeaten streak (rumored to be a bodyguard).

The authorities, ever the legalists, invoke the Rule of Law: No one may take justice into their own hands, they intone. This isn’t the age of lex talionis; retributive justice is archaic. Meanwhile, the hyper-moralistic crowd shrieks that no one has the right to take a life, ever. And the media? They churn out daily clickbait, treating the story like a jigsaw puzzle—digging, speculating, hungry for the next blurry photo to unmask this avenger.

Enter biopower (Foucault’s pet concept): the modern state’s art of control through economics, politics, police, media, even faith. But Mexican society is done —done with lies, injustice, hunger, sickness, and poverty. The President and his coterie of intellectual-lites wax poetic about Mexico’s greatness. Tell that to the 70 million poor who’d disagree.

 

Now, the antihero emerges. They call him The Vigilante. Beware.

 

Cases of “DIY Justice” multiply; the façade of institutional legitimacy tears at the seams. Corrupt governors, once shielded by power, are now abandoned by it. The elite pull strings, but no one’s safe when stability cracks.

What’s brewing? Gas price hikes, currency devaluation, budget cuts, inflation —a recipe for more antiheroes. Grandmas whacking assailants with frying pans, mobs tying thieves to lampposts after a beating, women defending their purses in broad daylight and leaving attackers in critical condition.

Thieves, rapists, fraudsters —they all risk being caught, lynched, and sentenced ipso facto to corporal punishment.

Byung-Chul Han, Europe’s darling philosopher, offers metaphors for our neoliberal, globalized post-modernity in “The Burnout Society”. But Mexico’s 21st-century mantra is simpler:

 

“We’re sick of this fucking bullshit”.

 

A soap opera former President, his comedy-princess sidekick, and an endless cops-vs-army-vs-cartels farce—all shackled by Rule of Law but strategy-free against crime. Farmlands lie fallow; Mexico can’t feed itself. Daily insecurity means criminals rob pennies from workers, not the rich —they have bodyguards, guns, and friends in the judiciary.

The poor bear the catastrophe. So antiheroes gain traction, and imitation spreads. “Wild Wild West Mexico”  is a myth; Vindicta Mexico is real. Just dare to challenge government corruption, and the dominoes tremble—remember the Arab Spring?

Quixotization of Sancho & Sanchification of Don Quixote | Full Essay & Analysis

06/06/2025

QUIXOTIZATION OF SANCHO PANZA & SANCHIFICATION OF DON QUIXOTE OF LA MANCHA

By: Jéssica de la Portilla Montaño.

Lee este texto en español: Quijotización de Sancho y Sanchificación del Quijote | Ensayo y Análisis Completo

I. The Quixotization of Sancho

In this text, the writer Salvador de Madariaga y Rojo highlights how the squire Sancho Panza, after some time serving his master, begins to reason and adopt attitudes worthy of Don Quixote of La Mancha. This is what is known as the process of quixotization.

Madariaga takes as an example the beginning of the Chapter V of the Second Part of the book:

“Of the discreet and gracious dialogue between Sancho Panza and his wife Teresa Panza, and other events worthy of happy recollection”:

“When the translator of this history reached the fifth chapter, he declares it apocryphal, for in it Sancho Panza speaks in a style unlike what might be expected from his limited wit…”.

Here, Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra plays with words and the narrator’s voice, as in other chapters of the First Part. He aims to convince the reader that these adventures were drawn from another source —though he may also allude to the unauthorized sequels of Don Quixote published after the original.

The sanchification of Don Quixote of La Mancha
Don Quixote is the most famous warrior ever

I.I The Process of Sancho Panza’s Quixotization

Later, Madariaga references the Chapter III of the Second Part:

“Of the laughable exchange between Don Quixote, Sancho Panza, and the bachelor Sansón Carrasco”.

This bachelor informs the protagonists of a book written by Cide Hamete Benengeli, “who left recorded the history of your great deeds”.

Sancho listens to the conversation between the bachelor and his master. As he learns that his name has gained fame, the squire swells with pride, even declaring himself “one of the principal presonages” (sic) of the story.

Sancho’s quixotization lies in this: after so often hearing Don Quixote speak of how their adventures would be remembered through the ages… Sancho comes to believe it and acts accordingly.

 

Don Quixote, Sancho Panza and Dulcinea
Don Quixote was a romantic.

II. The Sanchification of Don Quixote

 

Here, Salvador de Madariaga explains how Don Quixote gradually sheds his knight-errant persona. In the First Part, Alonso Quixano abandons everything to roam the world, honoring his king and his lady.

But as the novel progresses, the protagonist —through his madness— gains awareness of the real world. He now travels with saddlebags full of coins and pays for his lodging at the inns where he stays.

He even seeks advice from the bachelor Sansón Carrasco on how to begin his new series of adventures.

 

Don Quixote nowadays
Today, Don Quixote would fight against global warming.

II.I The Meaning of Don Quixote’s Sanchification

 

The fervor with which Don Quixote begins his exploits wanes as reality intrudes.

The knight and his squire travel to El Toboso, to seek the maiden Dulcinea. But when Don Quixote sees that his lady is merely a peasant girl, he blames his enemy, the enchanter:

“Sancho, dost thou see how I am hated by enchanters? And mark how far their malice and the grudge they bear me extend, for they would deprive me of the joy I might have in seeing my lady in her true form. Truly, I was born to be a model of misfortune, the target and bull’s-eye for the arrows of adversity…”.

Ultimately, Madariaga contrasts how Don Quixote’s illusions are eroded by reality, while Sancho undergoes the inverse: he begins grounded but becomes filled with fantasy and dreams of glory.

 

SOURCE:

De Madariaga, Salvador. Quixote reading guide. Madrid: Espasa-Calpe, 1981. Chaps. VII–VIII: “The quixotization of Sancho and the sanchification of Don Quixote”.

Jimmy Donaldson Just Pissed Off the Gods of Chichén Itzá… and Mexico’s Clown Show Government

12/06/2025
Jimmy Donaldson MrBeast Vs Secretaría de Cultura

Jimmy Donaldson AKA MrBeast Just Pissed Off Mexico’s 4T Government (And Their Imaginary Gods).

 

So Mexico’s Ministry of Culture—aka the clowns from the 4T’s second floor—is threatening to sue Jimmy Donaldson (MrBeast), the biggest YouTuber in history, over his “scientific documentary” about Chichén Itzá, Calakmul, and Balamcanché…

Ridiculous.

Let me break it down:

MrBeast visited Chichén Itzá, one of the most AWFUL “vacation” spots I’ve traveled to. It turns out that my mysterious back rash wasn’t an allergy from the cochinita pibil’s purple onions… it was BED BUGS.

BED. BUGS.

León Guanajuato’s flea markets don’t have bed bugs!

Back then (more than 20 years ago), the only way to arrive to the archaeological ruins was via disgusting, dirty buses —worse than Mexico City’s extinct Ruta 100.

A total scam.

Everybody (but Mexican Ministry of Culture) loves Jimmy Donaldson MrBeast
20 years ago, I got bed bugs visiting Chichen Itzá hahaha.

The heat? Whatever. We’ve all known about global warming since the ‘80s (thank you very much, Donald Trump, for making fun of it).

But waking up covered in itchy bites?

Thanks for nothing, Maya gods!

Had I bought an “I Went to Acapulco and All I Got Was This Shitty T-Shirt” merch, mine would say:

“I Went to Chichén Itzá and All I Got Were These Shitty Bed Bug Bites.”

 

Dear Luisito Comunica: I’ve never watched your videos, but please go ASAP and check if Chichén Itzá’s buses are now as clean and fresh as Cancún’s ( I doubt it). I haven’t visited Cancún since I read about the kid who lost his leg—and life—at Xcaret’s pool (Xenses Park). Did the 4T even fine the owners?

Teotihuacán was sooo gorgeous, but now it’s too far away to visit every other weekend. I need MrBeast helicopter…

Chichén Itzá? Overpriced, ugly, hot, and you can’t even climb the one pyramid. I sincerely congrat MrBeast for “bribing” his way in.

Even my mom hated Chichen Itzá:

And back then, do you remember? we entered where a relic was, which they no longer let you in, unless you’re Mr. Beast hahaha 😂 and it smelled like  armpit, almost impossible to bear.

 4T’s Priorities: Clown Edition

Instead of solving Valeria Márquez’s murder, little Fátima’s case, or 12 year old Mateo’s killing by a monster named Christian Augusto Jafet Gómez Villalpando, they’re crying over a YouTube heavily EDITED video.

Classic distract-the-masses move.

 

Pro tip for Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo minions:

 

Maybe?

1. Fix the feminicides,

2. water shortages, and

3. actual crimes,

before whining about gentrification, white privilege, American colonialism, acuracy of the scientific documentaries posted in MrBeast Youtube Channel (395 millions subscribers so far!).

 

Open Letter to MrBeast

 

Dear Jimmy Donaldson:

Glad you survived Mexico!

We love you so much 🙂

Next time, skip the tourist traps and just:
– Feed our hungry kids (since the government won’t).
– Dig wells (since my government can’t provide water).
– Invite me to Singapore, where officials don’t harass tourists? Do they?

P.S. If you really wanna troll the Mexican Ministry of Culture, buy all of their buildings and turn them into Chicken Pizza pyramids (local joke).

🎤 Mic Drop

 

#LeaveMrBeastAlone!!!

 

He’s out here doing YOUR job while you’re busy trying to sue content creators over memes.

Wyndham Alltra Vallarta Resort: Our Girls’ Trip

08/06/2025
Mi hija y yo en el Wyndham Alltra Vallarta | Reseña Viaje familiar a Riviera Nayarit. My daughter and I at the Wyndham Alltra Vallarta resort review Family trip to Riviera Nayarit

Wyndham Alltra Vallarta Resort: Our Girls’ Trip & Honest Review

Lee en español mi reseña sobre el Wyndham Alltra Vallarta.

Thanks to my friend Sandra Guerrero Moreno from GM Travel, we had the incredible opportunity to visit the Wyndham Alltra Vallarta all inclusive resort. If you’re looking for family vacations or a girls’ trip in Riviera Nayarit, keep reading my review and visit Mexico!

Reseña de mi viaje de familia de tres generaciones disfrutando en el hotel Wyndham Alltra Vallarta resort, Riviera Nayarit. Reseña de la escritora mexicana Jéssica de la Portilla Montaño. Review of my three-generation family trip to the Wyndham Alltra Vallarta hotel in Riviera Nayarit. Review by Mexican writer Jéssica de la Portilla Montaño.
¡Un inolvidable viaje de chicas de tres generaciones en el Wyndham Alltra Vallarta! Celebrando el Día de las Madres en la Riviera Nayarit.

Location

This resort is strategically located in Riviera Nayarit, right between Nuevo Vallarta and Punta Mita. Although officially listed in Nuevo Vallarta, its location is perfect for exploring the best of the Nayarit coast.

Our Girls’ Trip to Wyndham Alltra Vallarta

GM Travel found a May 10th promotion that made us super happy. We took the opportunity for a genuine “girls’ trip”! My daughter and I celebrated Mother’s Day, and my mother celebrated it twice with us.

What We Loved About Wyndham Alltra Vallarta

Through GM Travel, we had previously experienced the Krystal chain and their all-inclusive concept (buffet, open bar, and specialty restaurants). Although I miss my low-calorie pancakes, the breakfasts at Wyndham, with hot cakes, waffles, and handmade cinnamon rolls, were the best I’ve tasted in years.

I definitely preferred the Wyndham Alltra Vallarta. Maybe I’m easily impressed since I rarely go on vacation (I’m the type who’d only travel if I could teleport directly to my destination, haha, I’m a Taurus and perfectly happy just lounging at home all day, every day). But this all-inclusive hotel in Riviera Nayarit truly surprised me.

Features of Wyndham Alltra Vallarta

  • The open bar wasn’t limited to just a few cocktails, unlike what happened at Krystal Los Cabos; here, the variety was excellent! My favorites are “ojo rojo / cielo rojo” (Cuban micheladas with and without Clamato) and “chango sucio” (I don’t know what’s in it, but it tastes like chocolate ice cream).
  • The atmosphere was much calmer; there wasn’t the constant noise from activities, which allowed for genuine relaxation.
  • My room, without being upgraded to VIP, had a shower, a hydromassage tub, and a bathtub. Of course, I didn’t have time to use anything but the shower, but the detail is appreciated!

We had a wonderful time, strengthening our friendship with Sandra and Carlos, and enjoying my first beach vacation with my mom in 9 years, even without my grandma.

My Restaurant Dress Code Anecdote

My only “complaint” (and it’s more of a funny anecdote) was that I didn’t bring shoes, just my Crocs (not the yellow submarine ones). When we arrived at the Mediterranean specialty restaurant (Taverna Mezze), the hostess gave me a 10-minute grace period, which one understands as being able to enter until 8:10 if your reservation is at 8. But no! You had to be there at 7:50. Okay, and that beach sandals weren’t allowed in a beach restaurant…

I went to Sandra’s room to borrow her shoes, and when I returned, the same employee gave me a sour face because she had already seated everyone at a five-person table (according to her, I told her I wasn’t coming back). And that she couldn’t do ANYTHING about it because, oh, her restaurant was more empty than full! And it was impossible to add a chair to the table.

I wasn’t going to eat anyway because I was super full, but I found it ridiculous to have such a strict dress code (I’m omitting the expletives) at beach hotels. It’s not like going to Califa de León, where I’m sure they’d let me in with my Crocs despite their Michelin stars.

So, my mom and daughter went down to the buffet with me. Afterwards, our friends showed up because they hadn’t filled up 🤣 and their son hadn’t eaten anything at all. And it seems all the people who were in the half-empty specialty restaurant ended up at the buffet to fill their bellies 🤣🤣🤣. A funny anecdote from our trip to Wyndham Alltra Vallarta!

Have you visited Wyndham Alltra Vallarta or any other all-inclusive resort in Riviera Nayarit? Share your experience in the comments!

Read my latest text about the new HBO Max series: Chespirito not in purpose review in English and or Spanish (Chespirito sin querer queriendo reseña).

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