Sounds delicious! Might be on my agenda this weekend, as I'm preparing birthday lunch for my now 11 year old GS!

Hey folks. Maybe I can explain this a little better. The transformer in the Taco SR503 is rated at 24VAC at 15 VA which translates to about 0.625A. This has to power all the relay coils (3 of them) plus the LEDs. Taco is saying the transformer is only providing enough power for when all three relays are on (calling for heat), plus the 4 LEDs. Assuming standard engineering practice of providing up to 50% more power than continuously required, the transformer may be able to provide the additional 150 mA (3.6 vA @24VAC). That is only an assumption. I looked up the 24VAC LY2 Omron relay specifications and it consumes upto 1.2VA when actuated. Since there are 3, that's a minimum of 3.6VA power required when all zone relays are on. So for those who say "wire it up and try it", it could work using a total of 7 or 8VA or maybe a little more with the resistors and LEDs on the board, which is still under the transformer's 15VA rating.. The transformer will run a little hotter, but I doubt the 1A fuse will blow. The fuse is a fast blow and over time, as it runs hotter than designed, it may fail and knock out all heat. Just hope it doesn't happen in the dead of winter. If you plan to test it, make sure you turn on all zone thermostats for a good long while to draw max current. If you're skilled enough, put your multi meter into ammeter mode and put the probes in place of the fuse to see how much AC current is actually being drawn when all zones are firing. (should be mAmps). If you exceed 660 mA, your transformer will run hot because it is rated only for that much continuous power max. (This would be bad.) Since I'm in the same boat, I plan to measure it when one zone is calling and multiply it by 3 for total load when all three zones are calling. If I have 300 mA to spare, I'll use the Taco to supply my C-wire, thus ensuring an adequate power budget from the 15VA transformer. I'm no expert, but I hope this helps more than confuses...

Beesneeds, that's hysterical! That, that there's a taco bar calculator out there. Cool! Rule of thumb is usually a quater pound of roast beef per person for any kind of banquet. The calculator says a tad more than 2/5 lb. per for taco bar, which sounds right to me for ground beef. Since you're counting on generous portions and leftovers, even though there will be alternatives, I'd go with that, or even a half pound—if you think they'll load up the tacos with trimmings. In California, half the taco would be vegetables, but perhaps that's not so with your crowd. Lonejack’s experience may be more relevant. From my own experience (not the calculator): How big is the lettuce? If you've talking a tight, heavy, bowling ball sized iceburg, and people who like it, three is probably more than enough. If you mean loose little heads with no more heft than a softball, you might need ten. Sour cream, they'll eat it all up unless you have so much they don't eat any, no matter the amount. I'd go with two of the big food service tubs (5 lbs.?), hide one, but reassure people who hesitate that there's more. If they're more modest, you can probably do with one... Figure three tortillas/shells (5”) per person, plus some extra for spills and such, kids usually eat one and some adults might edge toward five, but a standard plate is three. Unless you have a bunch of brawy men who eat ten? Two food service sized (#10?) cans of beans should be enough. Sounds like fun! We have a community dinner coming up, but I'm not sure most of the older folks will attend...

Tacos can be kind of anything around here, depends on what's in the house and how many people are eating. Table is a taco bar and everyone can build as they will. I tend to like to build a salad on my plate. Then fill a tortilla or shell or two, maybe have a few chips, probably eat a bunch of it as a salad. Meats can be ground beef, shaved beef, steak, slow braised beef. Chicken that's sometimes cooked from cut up fajitas style, sometimes slow cooked and shredded. Pork and ham is usually slow cooked and shredded. Fish or shrimp tends to be quick cooked/seared or grilled. Pintos, black beans, and mayocoba beans- I cook those from dry and sometimes leave whole, sometimes mash up for refries. Sometimes shredded cheeses like cheddar or a jack, sometimes quesos, occasionally a cheese sauce. Chopped tomatoes, onions or green onions, shredded lettuce or other tender greens, lime wedges, sour cream, salsas or hot sauces, sometimes black olives. Avocado or guac. Shells and/or tortillas, sometimes hard corn sometimes soft, sometimes flour. Usually some tortilla chips, occasionally boats. Sometimes street corn, grilled or seared veggies, cole slaw, fried potatoes or sweet potatoes. Pickled jalapenos, pickled carrot salad, quick pickled red onions and radishes. Seasoned rices or rice and beans. Most of the time I'm seasoning from Tex-Mex, Central, and Northern South America. Sometimes I go more Jamacian or Cuban. I make my own taco seasoning or recipes for a lot of it. I also have a nice stash of seasonings ordered from Amigo foods for flavor profiles I might not have otherwise. If I'm going more Asian or Indian with it, a lot of the seasoning profiles and some of the fillings and extras change. Chapati/roti isn't exactly like a tortilla, but it's also not easy to find around here. During the summer I sometimes make "sushi tacos" for work lunches- cream cheese smear, packet tuna or whatever leftover cooked fish from last night I have in the fridge, white rice. Nasturtium leaves or other peppery leaves from the garden, green onions or sweet and sour onions, pickled edamame. Flour tortilla. And not exactly tacos, but around here... socca is used like soft tortillas too. Socca is a thin chickpea pancake. Usually socca is used with Mediterranean or Middle Eastern fillings and profiles. But the more usual fillings and profiles from the Americas work great too. And chickpea can be a nice alternative to corn or flour for some folks. Tacos I've had that I don't really make. Stewed goat was good, I like goat. Roasted lamb, not so much, but ground lamb like a kebab nug or moussaka filling is good. Duck was OK. Turkey can be OK, but often can be kind of the most boring of the meats. Venison was good, stewed and brisket kind of smoked style. Jackfruit is really good. Crab and lobster are OK, but there are better uses for those and I like fish tacos better. BBQ can be surprisingly good, especially using corn tortillas or shells for it.