Summer Treat: Grilled Peaches with Honey Lime Sauce

Here's the latest recipe from chef Jill Fisher! Jill, a licensed Personal Chef, teaches cooking classes at Conejo Valley Adult School and Williams Sonoma in Thousand Oaks and has written articles for local food magazines such as 805 Living. In December 2009, Jill and her friend released their cookbook "i found my sanity in...My Best Friend's Kitchen."

CLICK HERE for Jill's other recipes published in Conejo Valley Guide!

Nothing says summer like fresh peaches.  This recipe is very simple yet extremely flavorful, especially with good quality fruit and ice cream.  And grilling your dessert as well as your main course is a perfect finish for an alfresco dinner. -Jill

     Grilled Peaches with Honey Lime Sauce

4 fresh, ripe, white or yellow peaches

1 Tbsp cinnamon

2 Tbsp sugar

1 cup honey

2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

Grated zest of one lime

Cut peaches in half and remove pits.  Sprinkle cut side lightly with cinnamon and sugar.  Grill over medium heat, cut side up, for about 5 minutes.  Then, turn over and continue grilling for an additional 5 to 10 minutes or until soft.  Remove from grill and slice.

In the meantime, heat honey until warm and stir in lime juice and zest.  Serve peaches over vanilla ice cream, drizzled with honey sauce. Serves 4.

Painfully Perplexing Password Policy

I have over 250 websites where I need login/password combinations, most of which are pretty basic and never make me change the password (not to say I shouldn't change it...I should, but I don't, like most of you no doubt). But I think I've come upon the most complex, convoluted password policy ever.

This is painful!

• At least one uppercase or lowercase letter (easy)
• At least one number (easy)
• At least one special character, like ! @ $ % * ( < (OK, no prob)
• Contain no more than 2 identical consecutive characters in any position from the previous password (now this is getting painful)
• Contain a non-numeric in the first and last positions (what the?)
• Not be identical to the User ID (makes sense)

It is recommended that passwords should not:

• Contain any dictionary word (OK, time to whip out Webster's)
• Contain any proper noun or name of person, pet, child or fictional character (sorry Snoopy)
• Contain social security number, birth date, phone number or other readily guessed info (how about my wife's measurements?)
• Contain any simple patter of letters or numbers, such as qwerty or xyz123 (how bout xyzpdq!?)
• Be any word, noun, or name spelled backwards (darn it, I wanted to use REDRUM!)

Geez. This takes all the fun out of password creation!! And to think every 60 days I get to read through these rules again to create a new password!

Ventura County Residents Can Finance Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Projects via Property Tax Bill!

The CaliforniaFIRST Program (AB 811) allows property owners to finance energy efficiency and renewable energy projects on homes and businesses. For participating property owners, the cost of the project is repaid on your property tax bill over up to 20 years. Financing eligibility is based on the value of your property and the current status of property tax payments, not personal credit. 

The County of Ventura is one of 14 California counties that will be participating in the CaliforniaFIRST Pilot Program! This pilot program is schedule to launch this fall!

Under CaliforniaFIRST, the property owner repays the cost of the clean energy project through a line item on their property tax bill. The minimum financing amount is $5,000. The maximum financing amount for residential property is $75,000. The maximum financing amount for commercial property varies based on property value. The repayment period will be between 5 and 20 years. The interest rate will vary based on market conditions.

Participating in the CaliforniaFIRST program gives Ventura County an opportunity to help both the community and the environment. With rising prices in electricity, gas, and water, this program will allow property owners an opportunity to access investments in technologies that will likely protect them against rising utility costs.

Loans are entered into voluntarily and transfer to the subsequent owner (INTERESTING!) upon sale and have superior lien status above one’s primary mortgage.

Learn more by visiting www.renewfund.com/node/223 and www.californiafirst.org. Sign up to be notified when the program is available at www.californiafirst.org/signup.html.

Conejo Valley "Deal-a-Day" Website ConejoDeals.com Has Some Incredible Deals!

Looking for a great deal in the Conejo Valley? A new "Deal-a-Day" website, ConejoDeals.com launched in mid-April!

ConejoDeals.com brings huge savings to residents of the Conejo Valley and surrounding areas. Created by Westlake Village residents Robert Jaffe and Carlos Yniguez, ConejoDeals.com sends a daily email to its members offering 50-90% off at local businesses. Each deal remains available for purchase for just 24 hours (Friday deals are offered all weekend), but each discounted certificate is typically valid for six months.

In addition to saving you money, ConejoDeals.com gives back to the local community. For every deal purchased, $1 is donated to a local school, charity or organization.

To receive a daily special deal email, sign-up for free at ConejoDeals.com!

How John Wooden Touched the Lives of a Local Family: "We Called Him Coach"

The passing of legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden last Friday brought back so many memories. I was 11 years old when he retired from coaching but have vivid memories of those exciting UCLA NCAA dynasty years. Leslie Ruttenberg, who I've befriended via Twitter, grew up in Agoura Hills with her family and graduated from Agoura High School. She moved eastward into the San Fernando Valley and about eight years ago had the good fortune to befriend Coach Wooden at a coffee shop in Tarzana.

In this touching essay, "We Called Him Coach," she describes Wooden's lasting impact on her family, and most notably, on her daughter.