Thanksgiving in your retirement years might mean the long-deferred reward of letting the kids do the cooking and cleaning and entertaining, while you relax and enjoy the family gathering. But as the leaves blaze into their autumn beauty in the Beaver Valley and Georgian Bay seems to deepen to an even more impossible blue, you might find the family would prefer to visit you in your retirement community in Meaford.

To make it fun, here are some tips on how to make Thanksgiving at your Meaford and Georgian Bay retirement property the best ever.

1. Cater to the vegan teen…

…or adult. More and more people seem to be of the vegan persuasion these days, so you could very well be looking for a substitute for that plateful of turkey and gravy. While Thanksgiving often brings an autumn bounty of fruits and vegetables as starter courses or sides – such as squash, apples, and late corn – consider preparing a vegetarian main course and a vegetarian dressing (cooked separate from the turkey, of course!).

Here are some great recipes to get you started, including Butternut Squash and Mixed Mushroom Lasagna, Winter Squash Stuffed with Mashed Potatoes and Peas, Black Bean and Zucchini Tortilla Casserole, or Hearty Vegetable Pot Pie.

Make sure you make a lot; while these recipes cater to the vegans at the table, omnivores might just find themselves drawn to these tasty offerings, too.

2. Keep the grandkids happy, and the older folks will be, too.

A big family gathering is a surefire way to get children wound up. And as much as you want to enjoy watching them having fun, the decibel level can be trying as the kids get hyper, cranky, or both. Here are some ideas on how to occupy the young’uns before, during, and after dinner.

Need more ideas? Here’s a load of indoor and outdoor games to keep them occupied – and maybe even tire them out a bit.

Ideally, enlist some of the older kids as “supervisors” for the outdoor activities, and you can really relax

3. Manage the family dynamic

If you type “Thanksgiving family tips” into Google, number two is “10 Tips for Surviving Thanksgiving with the Dysfunctional Family”. At least one of these ideas is probably welcome at most Thanksgiving gatherings.

The article gives you ideas on how to deal with such familiar archetypes the mopey teen; the “challenging” uncle with the outspoken political views; the critical know-it-all; and the “fire-and-water” duo.