Wild Rice Salad

Adapted from Taste of Home (Feb./March 1993), page 29.

Yield: 6 servings

1 cup uncooked wild rice
¾ tsp. salt or seasoned salt (optional, to taste)
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1½-2 cups halved green grapes (can use mixture of red and green)
1 cup sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 cup cashews
Lettuce leaves, if desired

Cook rice according to package directions, using ¾ tsp. salt or seasoned salt. Drain. Cool to room temperature.

Spoon rice into a large bowl. Add chicken, grapes, water chestnuts, and mayonnaise. Toss gently until mixed. Cover and chill.

Just before serving, add cashews. Serve on lettuce leaves, if desired.

Notes:
- This is best if allowed to chill for several hours or overnight.
- Consider sprinkling cashews into individual servings instead of entire amount, as cashews become soft and rubbery if they are allowed to sit in the rice mixture for a while.
- This is my mom's version; the original uses 3/4 cup mayo.

Nutrition Facts (for original recipe):
1 serving (without cashews or optional salt) = 318 calories, 10 g fat, 40 mg carbohydrate, 229 mg sodium, 19 g protein.

Pina Colada/Fuzzy Navel Punch

From Carole Larsen.

Serves: approx. 25

1 can frozen white grape juice concentrate (Welch’s)
1 can frozen lemonade concentrate (Minute Maid)
1 can frozen Fuzzy Navel or 1 can frozen Pina Colada concentrate
2 (2 liter) bottles Sprite
4 quarts ice

Combine. Allow concentrate to reach slushy consistency before mixing. Allow enough time for ice to melt slightly before serving.

Advance preparation:
Combine the three concentrates in a Ziploc bag. Squish together to mix. Lay flat in freezer to store until needed. Remove from freezer 15 minutes or so before mixing punch to allow it to become slushy.

Notes:
- We had the Fuzzy Navel version at our wedding reception in California (yummy!).  However, we haven't been able to find the Fuzzy Navel frozen concentrate anywhere for a few years.  If you find something comparable, please let me know!