Wednesday, 19 April 2017

P is for Peanut Butter, Poutine, Paint Rollers, and the Prosthetic Hand!

In celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday, my theme for the 2017 Blogging From A to Z Challenge, is CANADA. 

Join me throughout April (every day except Sundays) to learn more about the inventions, the people, and the cultures that make up one of the greatest countries in the world!


PB, Poutine, Paint Rollers & the Prosthetic Hand, Oh My!


If you’re a fan of the PB&J sandwich, you can thank Canadian chemist (and pharmacist) Marcellus Gilmore Edson, who was the first to patent “peanut paste” in 1884. The delicious nutty product—with a consistency like that of butter—was developed as a food alternative for people who couldn’t chew properly, which was common back in those days. 

Today, peanut butter is enjoyed by millions of people around the world. Except, of course, by people who have a peanut allergy! For them, there’s pea butter – developed at the Leduc Food Processing Centre and processed in Legal, Alberta.

While we’re on the subject of food, I can’t leave out the quintessential Canadian creation—poutine, a French-Canadian dish traditionally made of French Fries and fresh cheese curds, covered with gravy. Yum! Various places claim credit for this delicious creation, but one thing is certain—poutine was born in rural Quebec in the 1950s. No one disputes that!

If you’ve been following my A to Z Blogging Challenge posts, it’s probably obvious that Canadian inventors have a direct line to our hearts through our stomachs. But the letter “P” brings a couple of other neat inventions that have nothing to do with food—such as the paint roller, invented by Norman Breakey in 1940. 

And, if you’re a fan of the Terminator movies—which I am!—the prosthetic hand was invented by Helmut Lucas in 1971. Not quite the same version seen in the movies, but without it, Arnold Schwartzenegger might never have been “back” from the future.

Whew! That was quite a few “P” inventions. I’ve gotta jet, but check back tomorrow when I reveal a “Q” invention. (Which was not as easy as I’d hoped!)

~ Chase Superman Duffy

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