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Sarah asked about Taco mix,
 
I don't use taco mix, I make tacos by laying out a bowl of each of theses
ingredients: cooked meat of any kind)leftover chicked diced small or
hamburger are good- or no meat at all is fine too), guacamole which I make
myself or sliced avocade, chopped tomatoes, chopped lettuce, chopped
olives, plain yogurt and spicy salsa.  At this point I'm even making my own
tacos because someone gave me an electric taco maker for my birthday, (you
make the dough in balls which store in the fridge very well, then squash
the balls in the machine and it cooks them very fast.  We put the machine
on the table, and eat them as fast as we cook them, and we can turn them
over and keep any eye on them  without getting up and down.)
 
Then guests take whatever they want to fill their tortillas. When using
commercial tortillas, I spread refried beans and a little cheese on each
tortilla and heat in the microwave (or in the oven if you have a crowd),
then everyone takes one of these and piles on what they want.  I use Pace
Picante sauce (hot) which is hot enough to flavor everything so you don't
need to flavor the meat with a taco mix first.
 
My family really likes this meal, and I serve it to guests too.
 
I also make this into a casserole format by putting refried beans (one can
without fat) into a casserole (a glass one is best since it's so pretty),
then top with a layer of guacamole, then chopped tomatoes, chopped black
olives, chopped green onions, then then shredded cheese (you can put into
the oven to melt the cheese, but it's not necessary).  Serve it at room
temperature or else heat the beans before adding everything else.  Put a
big spoon into this and guests can spoon it onto their plate and eat with
corn chips. Or I serve it for dinner to my family, and they wrap it in
tortillas.  When I have a party, this stuff always disappears, and my
family really likes it too.
 
Ellen Switkes
Oakland, CA