Rice Fruit Salad - Romaine F.

I thought this salad would taste like acini de pepe noodle salad.  It kind of did but the rice didn't take on the flavor of the other ingredients very well.  I peeled the apple because I cannot eat the peelings.  If you used red, yellow, or green apples, the peelings would give the salad a more appealing look.  I salted the water the rice was cooked in plus put some salt into the salad after it was mixed together.  I also left out the sugar because I thought it sounded too sweet with the marshmallows and pudding.  I was wrong.  I added about 1/3 of the sugar afterwards and it brightened the flavor a lot.  All of the sugar called for would be way to sweet.  We had a party at the beach last night with 4 families.  I 1/2'd the recipe so it was for 25.  Let's just say when I got home there was still enough left for 20 people.  Not a hit.  I did like it and if you needed something without a lot of sugar, it was OK without any added sugar.  I am giving it a 1.5 on public opinion but I thought it was a 2.

Rice Fruit Salad - Romaine F.                        (serves 50)

2  qts. Uncooked Rice                                          1  1/2  qt. diced Raw Apples
1  6 oz. pkg. Vanilla Pudding                                 3  C. Sugar
2  20 oz. cans Crushed Pineapple, drained             Salt to taste
16  oz. pkg. Miniature Marshmallows                    1  qt.  Whipping Cream whipped
                                                                             or. 2 - 8 oz. pkg. Cool Whip

Cook rice according to directions.  Cook pudding according to directions.  Mix rice with pudding and pineapple then cool.  Add marshmallows, apples, sugar and salt.  Just before serving fold in whipped cream.
Variations:  Use petite macaroni in place of rice and add chopped maraschino cherries and nuts.   Serve 50