Halloween and Thanksgiving: These two holidays always seem to be in the top three alongside Christmas. We don’t want to play favorites, but since two of those holidays fall within Autumn, one could make a case that it’s the best season of them all…

Well, we’ll leave that argument for someone else to have! Here in the Piedmont-Triad, every season has a wonderful reason to celebrate, and we celebrate each one to its fullest. What follows are some interesting, little-known facts about this iconic holiday and North Carolina itself.

Thanksgiving Trivia

Did you know that there is no clear evidence that turkey was enjoyed at the first Thanksgiving meal? It’s true: it appears this North American fowl was off the menu way back in 1621, in favor of venison and seafood. Considering it was an east-coast meal, can anyone be surprised? But that said, some 46 million turkeys are consumed on Thanksgiving. That’s double the amount eaten on both Easter and Christmas! Speaking of the bird, where did the name ‘turkey’ come from anyway? Honestly, from marketing: Turkish importers brought Guineafowl from Africa to Europe; Europeans loved the animal and called them by the slang term ‘turkeys’; Spanish importers, bringing the native North American birds in from across the Atlantic, called them turkeys to capitalize on an already delicious bird for sale on the continent. Another Thanksgiving staple, cranberries, also didn’t figure into the original meal, considering that the sugar needed to make the sour berry palatable was in short supply back then.

Seagrove Pottery

There is nothing more iconic of North Carolina than its red clay and the pottery made from it, and Seagrove pottery is legendary across the world. The town of Seagrove—located in the middle of the state, so don’t let the name fool you—is the handmade pottery capital of the US. Over a hundred potteries are located in this town, and normally there are two annual celebrations around this time of year to experience the history, tradition, and craftsmanship of one of America’s oldest art forms. They’re cancelled this year, but if you don’t have at least a few pieces of Seagrove Pottery for your Thanksgiving spread, take the time to find and purchase some from these local artisans.

Sweet Potatoes

Since 1971, North Carolina has produced the most sweet potatoes out of any state in America. It’s no surprise that the rust-colored soil of this state yields the most rust-colored vegetables of all, and sweet potatoes have always featured strongly in any Thanksgiving feast. From the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission itself are tons of recipes featuring this vital and variable vegetable.

Keystone Homes wishes you and yours a most happy Independence Day holiday! We hope your weekend was full of camaraderie and cheer and your Fourth is full of fun, reflection, and good times in your beautiful Keystone Home.

We’ve been talking a lot about gardening and food these past few weeks, but can you blame us? Your customized Keystone home will not only feature interior accents and amenities custom-tuned to your exact liking, but you also have the chance to create your perfect space outdoors. And we feel that every yard or patio needs a little bit of a vegetable garden for that extra special something. The Piedmont-Triad is temperate and is amenable to growing just about anything you’d want to grow!

So whether you’re going to get a small tomato pot, a corner planter on your deck, or a massive set of raised beds, you’ll want to make sure you know where your bounty is going when the harvest time comes. Here’s some hints from us here at Keystone Homes!

Roasted Tomato Salsa

What You’ll Want Grow: Tomatoes, Cliantro, Jalapeños

If it wasn’t for okra, tomatoes would be the easiest plant to grow in the Piedmont-Triad! Hot peppers come in third place, meaning salsa is one of the easiest recipes you can make where most of the ingredients come from your own little garden. Roasting the veggies in the oven gives them a nice rich char flavor, but consider using a wood fire or grill for some intense smokiness!

Squash Gratin

What You’ll Want to Grow: Zucchini, Straight-Neck Summer Squash, Thyme, Parsley

Plant a zucchini plant and you’ll have all the zucchini you’ll need for the summer. Plant two, and you might just get sick of it! That is, of course, unless you have a recipe as delicious and easy as this one. Accentuate the thick meatiness of zucchini with some more tender summer squash and you’ll get a wonderful texture that you won’t believe you’d find in a side dish. Though this recipe stands well on its own, if your herb garden is flush, you can’t go amiss with some fresh thyme mixed in with the sauce or some chopped parsley with the bread crumbs.

Okra Curry

What You’ll Want to Grow: Okra, Tomatoes

Make sure you follow the prep and cooking instructions on this one, unless you’re a big fan of okra’s natural sliminess! This technique will allow you to pull out all of okra’s earthy flavor and eliminate the sliminess which many folk find unappetizing. The high cooking heat will also help when you fry up the spices: don’t skip this technique either! Proper spice-handling is the key to delicious curries.

Tzatziki Sauce

What You’ll Want to Grow: Cucumbers, Dill

This sauce is so fresh and vibrant you’ll want to slather it on everything! Well, not everything. I suggest you put it on grilled souvlaki, grilled squash, and toasted pitas, but leave it off of your morning oatmeal. The secret to this recipe is grating and draining the cucumber overnight so that your sauce isn’t watered down by the cucumbers’ juices. The overnight wait time is important to help meld the flavors of the ingredients, but if you’re pressed for time, add 1 tsp of salt to the grated cucumber, let it sit for 20 minutes, then squeeze the water out gently by wrapping the cucumber in a tea towel and squeezing.

Are you ready to move into your Piedmont-Triad home? We know you’re excited about your new Keystone home: After all, our homes and communities are perfectly tailored to you and for family! All of that hard work you’ve done customizing or choosing your home is finally over; now it’s time to prepare for the Big Move.

We’ve created the definitive moving checklist for you. With this useful tool, you’ll be completely prepared to enjoy your new Keystone home as soon as possible!

We’ve been lucky this June: it’s been downright chilly some mornings! But before the heat sets in, why not take some time to get your house ready for when summer really hits?

Clean Air

Just like in winter, sometimes it gets stuffy in the summer. This is the best time to fill your home with plants! NASA researchers, in cooperation with the Associated Landscape Contractors of America, discovered several houseplants that help purify the air and filter out volatile organic compounds. Choose succulents such as Aloe for your kitchen, Spider Plants, Ficus, or Bamboo palm for your living room, Snake Plants for bathrooms, and Gerber Daisies, Chrysanthemums, and Peace Lilies for bright, colorful flowers anywhere!

As for non-natural solutions, be sure to reverse the rotation of your fans, change out your heating and cooling filters, and make sure your window screens and seals are in good repair for those cooler days (or rainy evenings!)

Window Treatments

While you’re prepping your window’s functional aspects, don’t forget the decorative. For windows that get hit with a lot of sun, swap your heavy curtains for heat-resistant drapes with white-plastic backings to reflect the heat back. Go for lighter, happier colors to suit the season, and that’ll work well too: the darker something is, the more heat it absorbs and the hotter your room will be. You can seal them with magnets or velcro at the sides and bottom for even more protection, if you’re willing.

Kitchen Maintenance

It’s probably about time for you to clean out your fridge, but it’s definitely time for you to clean out the coils too if you haven’t done it already during your spring cleaning. This’ll keep your fridge running much better and efficiently.

Also, get your grill out of winter storage and make sure it’s up and running cleanly and safely. Grilling outside keeps the heat of cooking out of your kitchen.

Store or Donate

Again, it’s time to catch up on any Spring Cleaning you might have missed out on or skipped! Donate any winter clothing you’re ready to part with and pack up the rest for storage. Same goes with extra blankets and your winter bedding.

Air Conditioning Maintenance

Sometimes the best time for this is in the winter, when demand is low, but here at the end of spring is the latest you’d want to wait to get your AC serviced. Don’t forget any window units you might have! Also consider installing a programmable or smart thermostat in your home: Your home will be cooled more efficiently when it is only cooled during the times you or your family are home.

Today, as you enjoy a relaxing holiday and prepare to fire up the grill in the backyard of your Keystone Home, take a solemn minute to remember the fallen American soldiers who died in service to their country far from their own homes. Memorial Day seems to have become a day to celebrate a backyard barbecue, buy a cheap mattress or car, light off some fireworks, and have one last long weekend before the summer begins, but let’s not forget to thank those who cannot enjoy these things any longer.

We here at Keystone Homes hope all Americans, service people, and veterans have a thoughtful and meaningful day today.

The Piedmont Triad is made up of three cities and the area around them: Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and High Point. There are many smaller communities in and around the Piedmont Triad as well. Today, let’s take a closer look at Greensboro, known as the Gate City, and learn why your new Keystone home is always in the perfect location!.

Greensboro, North Carolina

(AKA Gate City, Tournament Town)

Established: 1808

Population: 280,000

History

Greensboro’s indigenous population were the Cheraw tribe, which moved south east toward the coast as European expansion moved inward. Today, the tribe is extinct.

The first European settlers in the the area were Quakers, who founded the New Garden Monthly Meetings; the name ‘New Garden’ still lives on to this day as a major road and shopping area, as does the Quaker tradition of hospitality and education.

The name ‘Greensboro’ comes from Major General Nathanael Greene, who commanded the American forces at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in the woods north of the city. It was a Pyrrhic victory for the British army of General Cornwallis, and the heavy losses he sustained in the battle helped turn the tide of the war to the American’s favor.

The addition of a major railway hub in 1840 gave Greensboro its nickname, the Gate City, as it became the largest transportation hub in the state. North Carolina, and Greensboro itself, has always had a strong textile industry, and still does to this day, thanks in part to northern industrialists coming down to rebuild in the aftermath of the civil war. The textile mills of the Cone brothers changed Greensboro from a small town to a city within a decade.

In February of 1960, Greensboro was the site of some of the first sit-ins of the Civil Rights movement. Today, the lunch counter of the Woolworth’s is preserved in the International Civil Rights Center and Museum.

Industry

Greensboro has a history of textile production that continues to this day with major companies such as VF Corporation and the International Textile Group. Its qualities as a Gate City also brings major transportation companies to its hub, such as FedEx, Mack Trucks, Volvo, and Honda Aircraft. Although the ‘Triangle’ to the east is better known for its high-tech companies, Greensboro is becoming competitive in that area. Downtown Greensboro is also home to many graphic design and marketing firms.

Points of Interest

• TripAdvisor claims that Greensboro is home to America’s Best Burger, at the Hops Burger Bar.
• The Greensboro Science Center features a world-class Aquarium, twelve acres of animals from everywhere across the globe, and rotating exhibits.
• The Guilford Courthouse National Military Park features many statues and informative plaques, describing in detail the Battle of Guilford Courthouse and how it affected the Revolutionary War. It also features running and biking paths that connect to Country Park.
• The Tanger Family Bicentennial Garden has beautiful, well-kept grounds and features a small museum featuring objects excavated from the area that date back to the colonial period.
• The Old Mill of Guilford is a still-operational stone mill that sells its flours and mixes today, the same way they were made back in 1767.