Dinner on the cheap: 1/24/10
Had the yummiest tacos EVER tonight. Here’s how it broke down:
Corn masa for making tortillas (about 1.00 worth)
Head of lettuce: 1.99
Cheese (from the fridge…probably about 1.50)
bunch of cilantro: .89
3 large tomatoes: 2.00 (yeah, they were expensive)
2 lemons: 1.00
1 serrano chile: .15 cents
chopped beef: 4.00 (I think it was chopped sirloin)
Ground sirloin: 4.00
dashes of cumin, pepper, salt, chili powder and an onion (all things I had around)
Before I started on anything else, I chopped about 1/2 a head of lettuce, 1 tomato, about 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, and added a dash of salt and juice of 1/2 a lemon to it. I tossed this and popped it in the fridge. Then I blended 2 tomatoes, 1 chile, a scoop of minced garlic, and a dash of salt to make a simple salsa, and let that set while my mom and I prepared the rest. I fixed the sirloin ”bits” by cooking them on the comal in a dash of cumin, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a bit of chili powder. The “juice” (aka fat) from the meat mixed with the spices made a nice little sauce. My mom prepared the ground beef with the same spices, but added chopped onion and fresh minced garlic too.
The shells come out small when you press em’ yourself, making it a more “authentic” size, and somehow more delightful, LOL!
I put the meat, salsa, lettuce mixture, tortillas, and a few lemon wedges on the table and let everyone fix their own tacos up. I put the cheese out, which I normally wouldnt do, but my mom likes cheese in hers. 
Good filler too, considering I was feeding 2 teenage boys tonight too! LOL!!
We served the tacos with iced tea, and a couple people (including the hubs) ate some of the lettuce mixture on its own w/a bit of salsa and meat on its own as a taco salad. It was SO SO good, and everything tasted so fresh. Mexican food is very comforting to me too, so that probably added to the appeal.
Including the tea and ice, dinner was less than 20.00, and we fed 9 people! It was so so yummy too. Cheap dinners arent nearly as exciting when they dont taste good. 
January 25th, 2010 at 4:55 pm
oh that sounds so good. And I’m making tacos tomorrow, perfect timing!
January 27th, 2010 at 11:36 am
Hi! I found your site through Candy’s site (Keeping the Home) and wanted to tell you that I love it!
Tacos (and any taco related product) are my favorite meal. I use a prepared “sauce mix” which I have just not been able to duplicate satisfactorily, so I use it even though it’s “evil.”
My favorite way to eat taco meat is on a salad because you don’t need very much dressing, then we just take some tortilla chips and crush them on top. Tastes good and fresh. I really like how you budget your meals!!!
January 27th, 2010 at 3:06 pm
THanks Kristi!!! I’m so happy you came by, and glad to have a fellow taco fan.
I used the taco mix for ages until it finally just got to tastin’ too salty to me. That stuff has all the spices you could possibly need for tacos though. Gotta love that aspect!