Pumpkin spice season is drawing to a close, which means the holidays are fast approaching. Though the cozy and warm autumn vibes are raging on, the dawn of Daylight Saving time comes with holiday shopping, Friendsgiving planning, and festive baking. Though the lost hour of daylight is tough on some, Remi Bader, a content creator with over 3 million followers known for her realistic clothing try-ons, loves the transition from season to season.
Bader, a member of last year’s Forbes 30 Under 30 list and self-proclaimed “Thanksgiving girl,” told Spoon University just how much she loves the holiday season in a recent interview – especially all of the delicious food and family recipes that come with it.
“I love mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, stuffing and cranberries, all of that,” Bader said. “I like anything fall comfort food, and I’ve been eyeing all those recipes where it’s just giving fall and winter.”
Beyond savory autumnal dishes, though, Bader is a huge fan of Milano cookies when it comes to nostalgic and cozy sweets. In anticipation of the holiday season and in celebration of her recent partnership with Pepperidge Farm, Spoon University chatted with the model and creator to talk about Bader’s go-to fall snacks, favorite holiday traditions, and how her love for Milano cookies accidentally started a TikTok trend.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Spoon University: What are some of your must have snacks during the fall season? And are you a pumpkin spice fan?
Remi Bader: Yes, I’m a fanatic when it comes to pumpkin. Like, it’s scary. If I see anything in the store, or any café, I have to get it if it’s pumpkin[-flavored]. I’ve always been like that, so that’s why I was excited when I found out Pepperidge Farm had pumpkin spice Milanos — I didn’t know they had those — but I had them for the first time this fall. And I mean, like, so amazing. Those are the pumpkin spice go-tos. I love having those. I have them here now in my freezer, because I keep all my Milanos in my freezer.
I’m just really big on pumpkin. Yesterday, I made pumpkin pancakes and threw some chocolate chips in there. I always get pumpkin coffee. I have different pumpkin creamers here [at home]. I have pumpkin cottage cheese, which sounds, maybe to you, not good, but they have it at Whole Foods, and it is so good.
SU: What is your go-to comfort food for the holidays?
RB: For comfort food, anything sweet. I mean it when I say I actually have 100 bags of Milano cookies in all different flavors. I keep some in my freezer, some out of my freezer, and that’s my end of the night or middle of the day treat if I need something sweet. I always choose to have salty over sweet, but I have to have [Milanos] everyday or every other day, especially from the freezer. I got that tip from my dad, who, since I grew up, liked to put the Milano cookies in the freezer.
I started posting [about my freezer hack] on my social media this summer, not thinking anyone would realize or care. And then everyone started buying [Milanos] and putting them in the freezer, and being like, “This is the best thing ever,” and tagging me. That’s where this whole thing started, and, yeah, because of my dad, it’s meaningful comfort food to me as well.
SU: I love that memory that you share with your dad, especially the childhood nostalgia. Do you have any fun or unique holiday traditions with your family?
RB: I have to make cookies every year for Santa. It is something I have to do, and have since I was little. I always would put cookies downstairs, and there’s videos of me trying to steal and eat Santa’s cookies when I was really little. But I would also leave some for him! So I still put them on a plate that’s special cookies for Santa, and make them. On Christmas Eve we watch home videos, and I also celebrate Hanukkah as well, so we do “Chrismukkah” as I like to call it. I’m very into the holidays in general.
SU: Speaking of Chrismukkah, do you have any tips for holiday hosting on a budget?
RB: I do Friendsgiving, and we do a holiday one, too. So it’s not just Thanksgiving, it’s also holiday vibes. I hosted it last year at my apartment, and this year it’s at my friend’s apartment in Brooklyn. And I think you could do that on any budget, it’s just always fun to get together with your best friends. For us, everyone brings a different dish, so you’re all contributing. I don’t think that you need a big budget to do that.
We did that in college too, and we would have one for different occasions. We would do it for Friendsgiving; and one year we did “Eastover,” which was, like, a Passover-Easter potluck. I feel like we were definitely balling on a budget in college, and we always found ways to get together and host things, and there was always food involved.
SU: Do you have a go-to dish for a potluck?
RB: That’s my favorite, I love seeing what people bring. I love seeing how it’s something either meaningful to them, or that they eat with their parents, or something they’ve always had at their household. I always try to get creative and do something like, really holiday-themed, and sometimes it turns out.
I’m definitely more of a cook than a baker. My family always jokes with me that I shouldn’t bake, that I like whenever I try, it fails. But I do think that I’m a very good cook when it comes to other meals! I’m big on saving Instagram Reels or TikToks on food; for example, the other day I made this creamy orzo with sun dried tomatoes, chicken, spinach, and all this good stuff that I found on Instagram.
SU: What does the rest of your year look like? Are there any specific projects you have ideas that you’re excited about?
RB: I just launched my “Edited by Remi collection,” so I’m working on that. We’re actually coming out with a spring collection, which comes out in March, and a few pieces in May. I’m very excited that I’ll be working on that, and then doing more with Fan Girl by Remi — my fan ring light – which is a project I’ve done on my own that I’ve been working on for a while. And then I’m doing a lot also in the mental health space, and there’s gonna be a few things launching that. I feel like I’m very busy, but I feel like it’s better to be busy than doing nothing. So I’m okay with that.
You can keep up with Remi Bader on Instagram and TikTok, and stay tuned for her upcoming spring line for Edited By Remi, available nationwide in the spring.