Essentials By Mandi

Craving Italian tonight, but trying to skip the big bowl of pasta… so Eggplant Parmesan it was! 🍆🧀🍅

And I’m telling you—this felt like a CHEAT MEAL. 😂 Crispy eggplant, marinara, all that bubbly, golden cheese… I did not feel deprived one bit.

That’s something I’m learning while losing weight: you don’t have to stop eating the foods you love—you just have to find a version that still satisfies the craving. ❤️

Was it the lightest thing on the menu? Nope. 😂 But I skipped the pasta, enjoyed every bite, and walked away feeling like I had a big Italian splurge without completely throwing my goals out the window. Better choices don’t have to be boring choices. 🙌

That one time I decided to go RED… ❤️🔥😂

And not just a little red. I apparently woke up and said, “Give me ALL the red.” 🤣

I had completely forgotten about this hair era until I found these pictures, and now I need to know… WHAT WAS I THINKING?! 😂

Although, I have to admit… looking back at it now, I kind of loved it. ❤️ It was bold, it was fun, and apparently I was very committed to matching my hair to my level of sass. 😂

Would you have told me to KEEP THE RED ❤️ or GO BACK BLONDE 💛?

And the bigger question… should red-haired Mandi EVER make a comeback? 👀🔥

ThrowbackThursday HairMemories WhatWasIThinking ShouldIBringItBack EssentialsByMandi

Okay, these Chocolate Peanut Butter Dates are SO GOOD. 🤎🥜🍫 But of course my first thought was… I can make these at home! 😂

And I can make them with less added sugar and a lighter peanut-butter filling.

My Homemade Chocolate PB Dates:
• Medjool dates
• PB2 powdered peanut butter
• Water
• Tiny pinch of sea salt
• Lily’s sugar-free chocolate chips, melted
• Optional: ½–1 tsp honey if you want the PB2 a little sweeter

Mix the PB2 with just enough water to make it thick and creamy. Add a pinch of salt and a tiny drizzle of honey if desired.

Split and pit your dates, stuff them with the PB2 mixture, then dip or drizzle with melted Lily’s chocolate. Finish with a little flaky sea salt and refrigerate until the chocolate sets. 😍

Dates naturally contain sugar, so these aren’t sugar-free—but using PB2 and Lily’s keeps the added sugar much lower than a traditional candy treat.

Chocolate + peanut butter + that chewy caramel-like date = SO GOOD. 🤎

I’m definitely making these next!

MedjoolDates LowerSugar HealthyDessert ChocolatePeanutButter EasyHealthyRecipes SweetTooth

That one time I flirted with the zoo owner so he’d let me feed the big cats… 😂🐅

It worked. 😏
What I DIDN’T understand was that when you hand a tiger a steak, YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO LET GO OF THE STEAK. 🤦🏼‍♀️😂

Almost lost a hand.
Zero regrets.
Loved every single second of it. 😂

I have ALWAYS loved big cats. Give me the chance to get this close to a tiger and apparently all common sense leaves my body. 🐅❤️

Would you have done it?!

CrazyMemories BucketListMoment EssentialsByMandi

I have watched this 47 times and I’m still crying 😂😂😂
I swear it was not supposed to hit him IN THE FACE 😭

EssentialsByMandi

Poolside lunch with a little visitor. 🤍

Salami & cream cheese, kosher pickles, edamame, pepperoni chips, chicken salad and cantaloupe… and apparently Dad joined us for lunch too. 🥹

Before my dad passed, he always joked that he was coming back as a vulture.

Since losing him, I can’t tell you how many times we’ve been sitting out by this pool and looked up to see one circling above us.

So now I just look up and say, “Hey, Daddy.” 🤍

Funny how something that once would’ve just been a bird in the sky can suddenly mean so much.

SimpleMoments EssentialsByMandi

What I’ve actually been eating lately… and yes, I eat out too. 😂🥑🍤

I’m trying to keep my meals high in protein, lower in carbs, full of real food — but most importantly, they have to taste GOOD.

Today’s Mexican lunch was grilled shrimp over fresh guacamole with tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes & a little orange. 😍

Also in the rotation lately:
🌶️ Buffalo chicken salad lettuce boats
🍄 Creamy chicken Marsala
🦪 Homemade mussels with toasted Carbonaut bread + burrata
🫑 Chicken bites with dill dip & mini peppers

I’m not interested in eating sad “diet food.” 😂 I’d rather find meals I genuinely look forward to eating.

Which one do you want the recipe for first?

Besties come in all shapes and sizes. Mostly different sizes. 😂
Karen may be short, but she’s been one of the biggest blessings in my life. ❤️
I’ll always be her shoulder to cry on… she just might need a step stool. 🤣

My house has to be clean. I cannot handle clutter… but my closet? Apparently that’s where I keep all my chaos. 😂🤦🏼‍♀️

I have to be crazy SOMEWHERE.

Please tell me I’m not the only one whose ADHD brain works like this. 😂