Smokin’ Wild Rice Salad

Being from the midwest (of the USA) I love wild rice. Our oldest daughter shared a wild rice recipe I made this past weekend for company. Today, our youngest daughter called for the recipe and I was happy to give it to her. She called me as she was shopping for ingredients. She called me as she was starting to prepare the meal. She called me shortly thereafter when her kitchen was on fire. Yes! I was my daughters 911 call from her kitchen.

My daughter: “Mom, Help!”
Me: “What?”
My daughter: “My kitchen is on fire?”
Me: “What?!?”
My daughter: “MY STOVE IS ON FIRE!”
Me: “Your stove or your oven?”
My daughter: “I don’t have baking soda! What should I do?”
Me: “Where is the fire?”
My daughter: “Mom!”
Me: “Is the fire on the stove or in the oven?”
My daughter: “There are flames on one of the burners! They’re getting bigger.”
Me: “Put the pan lid over the burner.”
My daughter: “I don’t have baking soda should I use water?”
Me: “Did you put the lid on?”
My daughter: “Yes but it is still burning, should I use water?”
Me: “No water! Use flour!”
My daughter: “Flour will burn. Should I use water?”
Me: “Just use flour. What is happening?”
My daughter: “It is out. But my dinner is ruined!”

My daughter and I talked for a few more minutes as I asked if she was okay, talked about the miraculous fire proof-ness of stoves, how to clean up charred pans and laughed with relief.

I never got the memo at the hospital that when you gave birth to children you were on the roller coaster ride of your life. I am learning to enjoy the roller coaster. The twists, the turns, the highs, the lows, the plunging, the climbing and the sheer joy of the ride. What a ride.

My daughter took her unfinished meal to her sister’s kitchen to complete. I am hoping there will be no more exciting phone calls this night. But if there are, I now have the internet at the ready to search for solutions. And by the way, you are never supposed to put flour on a grease fire… my daughter knew that but miraculously flour worked today. I have already called her to tell her to buy a very large box of baking soda.

And the wild rice salad? It is delicious.

Smokin’ Wild Rice Salad
Ingredients:
3 cups cooked wild rice, cooled
1/3 cup chopped green onions
8 ounces sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 cup red grapes, sliced
1 cup celery, sliced
3 cups cooked chicken, cubed

Dressing:
1/2 cup Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise
4 Tablespoons milk
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
Combine wild rice, onions, water chestnuts, grapes, celery and chicken in a medium bowl. In a small bowl or measuring cup mix dressing ingredients. Fold dressing into the salad, stirring until thoroughly combined. Serve immediately or refrigerate a few hours before serving.