Pesto Grilled Chicken Salad

1/2 cup lemon juice
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup prepared pesto
sea salt to taste
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 bags triple hearts or romaine lettuce
12 baby carrots, thinly sliced
1 cup jicama, cut in matchstick pieces
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Combine pesto, lemon juice, oil, and salt and mix well. Put chicken in plastic bag and pour 1/2 cup pesto mixture over. Turn bag to coat chicken evenly. Refrigerate 30 min or up to 4 hours.
Place lettuce, carrots, jicama, and tomatoes in serving bowl and toss well.
Grill chicken over medium heat until no longer pink inside, about 7 minutes per side. Cut chicken into 1/2-inch slices and place on top of the salad. Whisk remaining pesto mixture and pour enough over the chicken salad to moisten it and pass the rest of the dressing at the table. Sprinkle toasted pecans over the salad and serve right away.

I had to start the post off with this delicious recipe in case the rest is too boring to read through to the end. I adapted it from a newspaper clipping and it is great!

Do you ever think you should do something but wait too long so that when you finally do it, it appears that you have ulterior motives? It happens to me all the time and I fear it causes me to seem insincere, one of my biggest pet peeves...I am honestly a very sincere person, but it may not look that way sometimes. My kids' gymnastics teacher from 9 1/2 years ago moved across the street last summer and I stopped by a few times, left note once to invite her to the Ward Halloween party, but since I didn't have her phone number, I couldn't call her and just kind of forgot. Imagine my surprise in January when I saw her and her daughter sitting in front of me in church! I knew she was a member but she hadn't been to church in a long time.

I was immediately ashamed that I hadn't done more to get in contact with her because I was afraid it would seem like it was all about church if I invited them over now. So, I waited a few weeks, which made it worse. Finally I had her come to lunch yesterday and we are just about the same person! It was amazing how many similarities we have and we talked for nearly 3 hours (while eating this salad!). I feel like I found a long lost friend and really wish I'd done more to get in contact with her and her family sooner so it wouldn't seem contrived. Well, better late than never. Luckily she is forgiving, like me, as well. I am so thankful I am getting to know her better!