Have I mentioned today just how much I love my husband?  My birthday was earlier this week and he gave me a new MacBook Pro to help facilitate my writing.

I can’t tell you the joy I feel right this moment since I am sitting on my sun porch with my Snuggie around me (yes, I am a big girl and can admit that I am wearing a Snuggie!!!) with an Oceanside scented candle my sweet friend Leslie gave me and a glass of wine… typing this on my new laptop which is sitting atop my new cushioned lap board which my wonderful sister-in-law Renee gave me.

Do you see the trend?  I have encouragement from all of those around me who know that writing is my passion.  Joe even just turned off the television to come out on the porch and sit with me as I write.  The man is my rock.

Enough of the mushy talk.

Today in our office we held a luncheon to honor one of our attorneys who is leaving to go into private practice.  As with every luncheon we have, a sign up sheet is posted in the break room so that everyone can coordinate what they are bringing.  I am usually on the ball, with my dish on the sheet as soon as the pin is pushed through the paper to hold it to the bulletin board!  Not this time.

After I got home from work last night I was still at a loss as to what I should make.  After searching the pantry and the refrigerator and looking through all of my favorite cookbooks, I decided to make a wild rice chicken salad recipe that my mother gave me years ago that St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Greenville, NC always makes to put in the box lunches for the Christmas Homes Tour.  Of course, Crawford and I had to run to the grocery store to get all of the items, but thankfully the recipe is very simple and easy to make so I was not up all night slaving away in the kitchen.

The salad was a tremendous hit!! I always decide on the success of a dish by the amount of people who request the recipe… and there were a lot.  Even my daughter tasted it before school and asked me to put some aside for her to eat as her after school snack! YES, it is THAT good.

So here it is!!!  Enjoy on this Tasty Thursday!

This is so easy and amazing… Just cook the box of wild rice by following the directions on the box and let the rice cool.  Add diced chicken to it (and admittedly, last night I used a large can of chicken breast in mine because I didn’t feel like taking the time to cook… people still LOVED IT!) and the water chestnuts.

In another bowl, mix the mayo, lemon juice and onion.  Then add the two together!!!!

Right before serving, add the grapes and nuts.

HEAVENLY!!!!  ALMOST as heavenly as the sandwich I had with my handsome husband and my sweet bonus babies the other day at a new restaurant in downtown Raleigh, Pogo.  I had the Hammy Sammy which is seared ham, collard greens with bacon and hoop cheese on a cornbread sandwich.  Yes, I’m serious.

It’s hard for me to even type that because it was SO AMAZING.  I can’t wait to go back… and it was only $7.50 with a side of sweet potato fries.

YOU CAN’T GET MUCH MORE SOUTHERN THAN THAT!!!!