Event Calendar

International Puzzle Day celebrates the birth of Dr. Erno Rubik, the inventor of Rubik’s Cube. Rubik was born on July 13, 1944 in Budapest, Hungary during World War II. Rubik’s famous invention, the Rubik’s cube, became a worldwide craze in the 1980s.

National Beans ‘N’ Franks Day on July 13th encourages us to make our favorite recipes during National Hot Dog Month. This simple recipe cooks up a delicious dish in no time and goes well with summertime barbecues, too!
Also known as “beanie weenies,” both dishes are similar to pork ‘n’ beans, but substitute hot dogs or frankfurters for the pork.
Baked beans became popular during the Civil War in the United States. They would later become one of the first canned convenience foods on the market in the 1890s. As a result, baked beans became a staple of the chuckwagon. However, it is unknown when adding franks to the beans became a culinary technique.
The franks, or frankfurters, can be beef, pork, or a combination of both. The ground meat is blended with spices and seasonings before being cured. These sausage style wieners or hot dogs come with or without casings. Before adding them to the beans, the franks are sliced into bite-sized pieces.
While beans and franks is one name, Van Camp’s owns the trademark to the Beanie Weenies name. Another brand name is Franks & Beans.
Home cooks make beans and franks, too. Recipes can include beans, hot dogs, brown sugar, onion, mustard, barbecue sauce, and spices. The United States isn’t the only place recipes are found, either. Around the world, beans and franks enjoy wide popularity.

National Delaware Day on July 13, recognizes the First State to declare independence from the British. Rich in history, Delaware’s lands once belonged to New York and later Pennsylvania. But the independent spirit of this beautiful coastal countryside is more than just legendary.
The Delaware River and Bay derived their names from the 12th Baron del la Warr, Thomas West, a governor of Virginia. The name later carried over to the land as well.
During the Second Continental Congress, Delaware’s delegates created a bit of suspense for the history books! Read more under Caesar Rodney and George Read.
Delaware became official in 1776 when the 13 colonies declared their independence from the British government and Delaware adopted its first territorial state constitution.
First State
Delaware is proud of its First State status. With that comes many other firsts. Delaware boasts the earliest Swedish settlers in 1638 who built the Old Swedes Church which still stands. Now known as the Holy Trinity Church, it is one of the oldest churches in America. Swedish settlers built the first log cabins on American soil, too.
The Stars and Stripes flew for the first time during the Revolutionary War during the only battle to take place on Delaware soil.
Shipbuilding became big business first in Delaware in 1840. The first iron shipbuilding yard in the United States was founded in Delaware by Samuel Harlan of Betts, Pussey, and Harlan – machinery makers.
From ships to rails, Job H. Jackson and Jacob F. Sharp founded the Jackson and Sharp Company of Wilmington in 1863. By 1871 they built the first narrow-gauge railcar in the United States.
The coastal state also lays claim to the first bathing beauty contest in 1880. To attract business to a summer festival, the competition was held at Rehoboth Beach. Thomas Edison was one of the judges.
Known as the Chemical State, Delaware is a hub for manufacturing and munitions. In 1939, the world’s first nylon manufacturing plant opened in Seaford under the name of Dupont.

National French Fry Day on July 13th recognizes a staple food on menus across the country. It comes in so many different cuts and styles, there’s a favorite for everyone to enjoy! French fries, also known as chips, fries, finger chips, or French-fried potatoes, are batons of deep-fried potatoes. No matter what we call them, they’re common fixtures at fast-food restaurants and are loved by all ages!
A wide selection of condiments such as ketchup, ranch dressing, vinegar, mayonnaise, honey mustard, cheese, and many more complement French fries. As a healthier alternative, sweet potatoes also make delicious fries and accompany many dishes on menus around the country. Other varieties are baked and come in unusual shapes such as curls, waffles, crinkle, or tornado cut.
Beyond the condiments, chefs and home cooks sprinkle seasonings to add flavor and spice to their fries. Whether you add a little garlic and onion powder or spice it up Cajun style, a potato crisped just right will satisfy a combination of tastes. We top them with chili or nacho cheese and jalapenos, too. Depending on the type of fries, we might top them with even more ingredients and call them all sorts of things.
The expression “French Fried Potatoes” first occurs in print in English in the 1856 work Cookery for Maids of All Work by E. Warren.
It is believed by some that the term “French” was introduced to the potatoes when the American soldiers arrived in Belgium during World War I and consequently tasted Belgian fries. Since French was the official language of the Belgian Army at that time, it is possible the American soldiers began calling the fried potatoes “French” fries.

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National Grand Marnier Day on July 14th recognizes a liquor that brings citrus notes to cocktails and desserts. Since the 1880s, we’ve been enjoying the fruits of Grand Marnier’s exquisite flavor. Alexander Marnier-Lapostolle invented the orange liquor in the 1880s. His grand experiment pairing fruit liquors with cognac took 10 years to find success. When it did, Lapostolle gave birth to one very expensive liquor. The cognac concoction blended one of the most costly fruits of the time with a very strong spirit, too. Not only does it add a splash of citrus when mixed into drinks and desserts, but Grand Marnier can be enjoyed neat. The result was truly grand.
Grand Marnier is used in a long list of desserts including liquor cream buns, Yule log, cranberry sauce, Crepes Suzette, and Grand Marnier souffle creme bruleé. Grand Marnier is also used in the sauce of the roasted duck dish, Canard a l’Orange.
Some examples of the mixed drinks including Grand Marnier are Cosmopolitan, Margarita, Sidecar, Dirty Harry, Grand Mimosa, B-52, the Grand Marnier Smash, Grand Smash, Smash Marnier, Bloody Smash, Maced Marnier, Ace Marnier Smash, Frosty Smash, Smace, Grand Hound, Blood Pug, Clarke, Nogley and the Grand Marnier Fireball.

One of the classic comfort foods earns a place of honor on July 14th. It is National Mac and Cheese Day!
Made with macaroni noodles, cream or milk, and the golden goodness of cheese, mac and cheese shines as a side dish while also standing on its own as a main dish. This meal reminds many of us of home while also teaching us the basics of the kitchen. What other recipes allow us to create so flamboyantly and often with so little knowledge about cooking?
From the classic mac and cheese with cheddar or American cheeses to the spicy cowboy mac with bacon and jalapenos, there’s a combination for everyone. Mix up the cheeses or load up on seasonings. It’s easy to get a toasty crust by setting the broiler for a couple of minutes at the end of the cooking time.
Mac and cheese offers a multitude of ways to enjoy it, too. As a soup, it warms us up after a long day. Stuff it inside a meatloaf or a burger for a meal made for a hungry, busy family. Roll up bite-sized bits in bread crumbs and deep fry for mouthwatering appetizers. Put your favorite mac and cheese between two slices of crusty bread. Then put into a panini press for some grilled yumminess. Whether we like it mild or spicy, mac and cheese has us covered.
Besides being simple to make, mac and cheese enables us to experiment with other flavors we enjoy. We break into our kitchen skills with mac and cheese, and it makes us look good. Sometimes the can opener doesn’t do that. On July 14th, celebrate mac and cheese not only because we love to eat it, but because it taught us we can cook, too.

July 14th, measuring twice means something extra. It’s National Tape Measure Day.
Alvin J. Fellows of New Haven, Connecticut made the lives of carpenters, electricians, seamstresses, and countless other tradesmen and craftsmen easier. On July 14, 1868, Fellows was granted a patent for “Improvements in Tape Measures” that created a whole new era for measurement. Enter the generation of retractable tape measures.
The first recorded use of the tape measure goes back to the Romans, utilizing marked strips of leather. Before Fellows’ patent, Englishman James Chesterman designed a steel measuring tape, but it was expensive for its time. At $17 in 1853, it was equivalent to $300 in today’s U.S. dollars. Chesterman’s big, bulky design didn’t fit in a pocket or even a toolbox. When Fellows’ patent came along, tape measures became the sliced bread of the toolbox.
The tape measure we know and use now comes in a wide array of sizes, colors, and materials. You can find some smaller than the palm of your hand or bigger in lengths of 300+ feet. They are used for anything from DIY projects at home, by contractors, and in construction and at a much lower price. They are a standard tool in almost every household.

It’s time for the 2020 TPBA Parade of Homes!!
Experience the Virtual Tour, from the comfort of your couch!
Click through more than 30 New Beautifully Built Homes!
Tour at your own pace today!
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