Wardrobe Wednesday- Striped Hoodie & Denim Jacket

I first started Wardrobe Wednesday outfit posts back in 2013. That’s over 9 years ago, several sizes ago, and many, MANY pounds ago.

Self esteem wise, that was a great time in my life. At least physically speaking.  Mentally/emotionally on the other hand…not so much. But I was lowest size I had ever been since the start of puberty. I fit into clothes comfortably, and having my picture taken didn't make me want to disappear into a bush like that Homer Simpson GIF. 

I’m actually not going to dive too deep into body positivity on this post. I don’t have it in me to discuss not caring about a number on a scale, or caring about societal norms when it comes women’s bodies…we can talk about that some other time. Today, I just want to address that I miss the freedom that came with feeling comfortable in my skin. That was nice. 

As the years passed and the weight packed on and became harder and harder to manage, that freedom left. For a while I even succumbed to not caring about my outfits at all. I think it’s really typical for us to think we shouldn’t shop for this “fat body.”  That what we SHOULD be doing is trying to lose weight and then shopping for new cute clothes for our smaller “goal” body instead. Let me tell ya, that mentality is a sure fire way to make a person already uncomfortable in their skin even more uncomfortable. Ya, sure, dressing like a slob is SUPER helpful when you’re looking for a confidence boost!  All I was doing was punishing myself.

Fast forward many years, and I feel like I can proudly say I’m in the best place mentally and emotionally I have ever been. I’m confident in who I am as a person, my morals, my belief systems, my relationships…all of that incredibly important stuff. Of course this also coincides with being my heaviest weight and size of my life too. Go figure, you get your mind and emotions all good and your body just has to go the opposite direction just to keep you humble. We just can’t have it all, can we? 😂

But let’s be real, I have the important stuff. I know these other things are way more vital than the size of my pants or the look of my chin in pictures, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t still something to work through. I finally got out of the slob stage a couple years ago. My size 12 body deserves to wear cute outfits just as much as my size 6 body did!  Even as my weight continued to go up I’m so happy that I saw the value in dressing myself in a way that made me happy. Especially because I genuinely love putting outfits together (if you don’t that’s ok too!) I got over the first hurdle!

My second hurdle is still MOST DEFINITELY pictures. I hate them. Haaaaaate them.  Loathe them entirely.  So with this in mind, I decided to attempt bringing Wardobe Wednesday back. I was always telling myself that I would “bring it back when I was comfortable again”….but maybe this is a way for me to get to that comfortable place? Maybe, forcing myself to take pictures in clothes will actually build my confidence again?  Who knows! But I’m going to give it a try. 

Now, that doesn’t mean I’m going to necissarily go back to having a post every single week like before. It might be a little intermittent. I also reserve the right to take 573,892 pictures to find 3 that I’m ok with posting. Hey…just doing these posts again is putting myself out there. Don’t be thinking I’m snapping 4 pictures quickly and moving on…I’mma be filling that camera roll. 😂

Anyhow, if you’ve read this far you’re a trooper! Now for the actual post and outfit deets:

__________________________________________________________

This post contains affiliate links BUT per usual, I only link items that I love and have bought myself or genuinely think are awesome!

I set up my tripod outside in my front yard but it was soooo windy! I ended up having to move inside to my office. Not the most interesting background but I was dressed and ready and didn’t want any excuses to not get it done…so inside it was! 

Striped Hoodie

This Time and Tru hoodie is great! Being long sleeved it’s just enough to keep you warm when it gets a little chilly, but overall it’s pretty lightweight so it won’t give you heatstroke during the warmer parts of the day. It’s a perfect foundation piece to build off of.  Since it’s not overly thick you can easily wear another jacket over it without getting too bulky.  I also love the detailing of the high cut on the sides but lower in the back. 

Of course this exact sweater is out of stock, but I’m going to link it anyway in case it comes back or you like other colors or similar options. 

https://www.walmart.com/ip/483464333

Denim Jacket

I’ve owned a few denim jackets over the years and this one is by far my favorite!  It has stretch to it so you don’t feel restricted. This also lends its self well to wearing it over over sweaters and still being able to move. Ones I’ve had in the past made me feel like Ralphie’s little brother Randy in A Christmas Story. Do you know the scene I’m talking about when he can’t put his arms down in his snow gear? Anyway…none of that with this jacket. It moves with you and extra bonus is it has wonderful inside pockets too!! I wore it to a concert and it held all my stuff without having to bring in a bag.  If you’ve been looking for a denim jacket…look no more. This staple piece is a must have!

https://amzn.to/3wCSbHH

Sneaker

I got these sneakers at TJ Maxx.  The brand is Urban Sport by J Slides , which of course I’ve never heard of and means nothing to me. But they are so cute and comfy! They were great for walking all over San Francisco but still super stylish.  I love the rose gold and snakeskin detailing.  I found them on HSN , Nordstrom rack, and even Amazon. I got them cheaper at TJ Maxx but since I couldn’t find this exact pair on their site, I linked it on Amazon because it’s cheaper than HSN. 

https://amzn.to/37XqS0n

Caramelized French Onion Dip

*If you’re one of those people who act like reading more than 3 words before you get to the actual recipe is the WORSSST torture on this earth,  skip to the solid black line. That’s where information on the dip starts*

Even though French Onion Dip is a classic, I never really had it growing up. In fact, the first time my mom made I thought it was tuna. 😂 Let me explain…

One New Years Eve my mom went all out with appetizers and “pickies” as we call it.  A massive spread on the dining room table that we circled around to make our selections and fill our plates. Next to the chips was a small bowl of tuna. Tuna??? Why would she serve tuna? Of course we ate tuna with crackers so I just assumed she was had opted to have chips instead of Ritz.  Bit of an odd choice for a party type situation…but whatevs. I skipped the “tuna” and mounded my plate with just chips. 

It wasn’t until the next day that I found out what it actually was. I thought the little pieces of dehydrated onion pieces were fish and that it was just a VERY mayo heavy tuna salad.  It even had that light brown color that had really made me think it was some cheap chunk lights from a can.  

Don’t worry though, I made up for missing it the night before and inhaled this creamy, new to me delicacy and I’ve been inhaling at parties every since. 

_______________________

While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the packet version (it’s what got us all to love it in the first place), as I’ve gotten older and become a woman of sophistication and class, (hold your laughs, please) I’ve started making it from scratch. 

Of course it’s easier to just tear open a packet and stir, but if you want to take it to the next level with some deep caramelization, this is the way to go! 

Caramelized Onion Dip 

2 1/2 cups Onion, small diced

2tb. Oil

1 cup Sour Cream

1/2 cup Mayo (I love Dukes)

3/4 tsp. Kosher Salt 

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 

1/2 tsp. Garlic powder 

•Heat oil over medium heat in a small sauce pan (it’s what I find works best for such a small amount being cooked)

•Add your diced onions and cook over medium heat for about 10 mins or until the onions soften and become translucent. 

•Once your onions have softened, turn your heat down to medium low. 

•Cook your onions low and slow, stirring as needed to to keep them from burning. You want them to become caramelized, sweet, and a bit jammy. The entire process took me about 45 minutes. Your 2 1/2 cups will cook down to approximately half a a cup. Set them aside to cool.

•In a bowl, stir together the sour cream, Mayo, caramelized onions, salt, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic powder until well combined. 

You may serve it right away, but I like it best when you make it ahead of time and refrigerate it. It gives the flavors more to meld and deepen.

Now comes the real question…do you serve them with WAVY or RIPPLE  potato chips?  One might argue they are the same…but OH do I disagree. 

Can you guess which one I prefer? 

Cinnamon Crunch Banana Bread

*If you’re one of those people who act like reading more than 3 words before you get to the actual recipe is the WORSSST torture on this earth,  skip to the solid black line. That’s where information on the bread starts*

On this day two years ago is when quarantine really kicked off. Schools had shut down, offices were sending employees home, and people (like The Boy) were being laid off from their jobs. Our world as we knew it changed forever. 

Quarantine?? What? How does that even work? I never could have imagined this happening in my life. Who would have thought the whole world would be taking a collective time out. It was weird. The days were long yet short. I felt stressed yet also relaxed.  Time meant nothing and everything all at the same time.

What do you do? Take this time take to relax because you’ll never get this opportunity again?  Or be productive…because you’ll never get this opportunity again? 

For the first time ever there was….time! Even if you continued to work like I did your day had opened up. You didn’t have other places to be (you weren’t socializing) You weren’t rushing from one thing to the next, and you got to work from home. The extra time was great. 

With everyone at home and extra time on their hands came trends. Everyone and their brother was baking banana bread (like me), whipping up dalgona coffee (bought the instant coffee to do it and then never did. It’s still sitting in my pantry to this day ) and tie dying everything they could get their hands on (nope over here). 

I am commemorating the anniversary of this weird space in time by finally posting my banana bread recipe.

__________________________________

 I couldn’t help but make my banana bread a wee tad more interesting by coating it in cinnamon sugar for some added crunch and  extra flavor. 

By all means if you’re not into the idea of the added butter and cinnamon sugar, you can skip it. This is still a solid banana bread recipe without it. But the added crunch of cinnamon and sugar takes me back to my childhood breakfasts of cinnamon toast. What’s not to love about that?

Cinnamon Crunch Banana Bread

Yields 2 9x5 loaves

Bread

4 Bananas, mashed 

4 Eggs, beaten

1 tb. Vanilla extract 

1 cup Shortening*

2 cups Brown sugar

3 1/2 cups Flour 

2 tsp. Baking soda 

1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Cinnamon 

Coating

1 cup Granulated sugar

1 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

1 stick Butter, melted 

*May sub with softened butter, but believe it or not I prefer it with shortening 

•In a mixer, cream your shortening and brown sugar until fluffy, stopping periodically to scrape down the sides of the bowl.  

•Stir in the mashed banana, beaten eggs, and vanilla until we’ll combined. 

•In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. 

•Add your dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients a little at time until fully incorporated. Do not over mix or beat at a high speed. Just stir enough to combine.

•Preheat oven to 300 and prepare two 9x5 loaf pans with nonstick spray or shortening. 

•Divide the batter into the two prepared loaf pans and bake at 300 for 1 1/2 hours or until the center is completely set and a toothpick comes out clean. Low and slow is the way to keep your bread from getting to dark and crispy before it is cooked all the way through. 

•Remove loaves from pans and cool on wire rack

*Optional Step* When the loaves are about 80% cooled, wrap in foil and let sit overnight. This helps the loaves stay extra moist. 

•Mix your cinnamon and granulated sugar together and transfer to a plate or container large enough for an entire loaf to fit into. 

•Brush your loaf with melted butter and roll and press it into the cinnamon sugar mixture, coating the top and sides of the loaf. 

•I like to give the sides of the loaf just one coating, but 2-3 coats of butter and sugar on the top of the bread. Do whatever you prefer! I like a thick, crunchy sugar crust on top.

I hope you enjoy this spin on a traditional banana bread. It’s simple but makes a big impact.