Author: Henry Barnard

I am a voracious reader and also enjoy writing. I often have a very different point of view than the popular one. I do see value in debate, and thought it might add to the public debate on controversial issues if I were to express my contrarian opinions. I also started keeping my poems recently (I've written little pieces my whole adult life but never kept any); and I've been a photographer now for over 25 years. So I will be adding an occasional poem and hopefully interesting photograph to the blog along the way, just to spice things up.

Freedom from Death

When you make it to your 70s, and even earlier for some, you begin to see death as real and much more likely, even conceivably in the short term, than when you were younger and death was mere abstraction. 

This realization brings with it a kind of acceptance — that your time now is indeed limited and no matter what you do, your death is unavoidable. This realization, oddly enough, introduces a strange kind of fatalism that frees one from being too concerned with death. 

And that fatalism gives one a new kind of liberation from the fear of death when you completely accept the fact that you will indeed die and perhaps sooner rather than later.

Quinoa and Buckwheat

Quinoa and Buckwheat

These are not grains but seeds, and so can be sprouted. Put them in water for 24 hours, then thoroughly rinse the sprouted seeds. To cook, bring the water or vegetable broth to a boil, then on low heat for 20 minutes. 

The thorough washing and then the sprouting process does two things — minimizes or eliminates the antinutrients and massively increases the nutritional value of both seeds. 

This combination is a very healthy addition to a salad or can be used to make bread or pancakes.

First Pie Attempt

Prostate Cancer Benefit

How is it that a diagnosis of prostate cancer can be beneficial? Well, when you get this diagnosis, it makes one take one’s mortality more seriously, and that leads to appreciate one’s current days and moments during the day that much more, for they are now more finite — no longer more or less unlimited. So one had better stay in the moment and appreciate it for all its worth.

 

Happiness

First Pie Attempt

My first attempt at a purple sweet potato pie was absolutely delish — I could have eaten the whole thing at one go, it was so tasty — but it hardly look anything like a pie. The crust part was a complete disaster. But I am undaunted. Next time, the crust will really resemble a pie crust. I’m furiously reviewing youtube videos on how to make a pie crust.

I didn’t have the right equipment for doing the pie crust. My roller pin was way too small and never got to use it because I didn’t have a suitable surface for rolling and powdering the dough. So the dough ended up this gooey mess that I spooned into the glass pie dish. The only thing that worked was the sweet potato filling with a heavy dose of cinnamon and some stevia. That worked perfectly. The filling tasted like cake, not potato.

I want to make a pie crust with a mixture of various non-wheat flours (oat, chickpea, walnut, quinoa, lentil) that are held together with the gel formed by chia seeds and almond milk, plus baking powder and arrowroot powder. I want to make it so that the crust is thicker and a more substantial part of the pie, as these flours have excellent nutritional value. 

Sugar and Salt