Applebee’s DOLLARITA Is Back In SWFL

With the price of just about everything going up these days, it's great to get a deal where you can and Applebee's DOLLARITA is back in SWFL!

We all know that going to the grocery store looks a lot different than it used to. I live by myself in Fort Myers, just me and my pup, so I know compared to others with families, I feel the pain a lot less. But that doesn't mean that I haven't had to change my shopping habits. I used to be a one-stop shopper, but now I'm actually paying attention to sale ads and going from store to store to find the best prices.

Where I haven't noticed as huge of an uptick in price is dining out. I feel like the gap between cooking at home and eating out at a restaurant has definitely closed, especially for a single person like me. And if you do enjoy dining out and like indulging in a few cocktails, there is a spot you can do it for next to nothing. Applebee's.

Thanks to an agave allergy I developed about 15 years ago, I can no longer drink tequila, but if you can and like a good margarita, Applebee's is the spot. For the entire month of May, you can enjoy a margarita at Applebee's for just $1. For $.50 more, you can add flavors like strawberry or mango.

And that's not all. According to a press release, Applebee’s Cerveza & Sips are back, where you can get two star-studded margaritas like the $5 Rock & Berry Rita or the $9 Breaking Rock Rita and a cold $5 Dos Equis Brewtus® draft beer. Cinco de Mayo may be over, but why not celebrate all month?

There are a few Applebee's locations in SWFL. North Fort Myers, Fort Myers, Naples and Cape Coral. To find an Applebee's location nearest you, click here

Cheers!

Mercury is in retrograde. Combined with last weeks full moon. If things went haywire for you, that might just be why. So for Monday Funday, and with the help of PATRON Tequila, I've got a list of cocktails for your astrological sign. Perhaps if you are feeling the crazy at the end of the day try making the one paired your sign, to relax and reset.

It is chaos. It runs through January 18th. Mercury refers to the planet that astrologists say is the ruler of communications. The Latin root of retrograde translates to backward step. Have a lot of your communications been getting mixed up lately? According to Susan Miller with Astrology Zone, when Mercury is retrograde you shouldn't sign contracts or make big purchases of electronics either. She says you  might not get what you thought you were.

We are currently in the sign of Capricorn which began on December 22nd and continues through January 19th. Capricorn is an earth sign, persistent, strong, and an overachiever. For this sign, PATRON suggests a Silver Negroni.

They say, "This spirits-forward Silver Negroni is the perfect way to encapsulate a Capricorn's strong yet effortless nature." It's the cocktail pictured above and here is the recipe.

Combine 1 1/2 ounces Patrón Silver, 1 ounce MARTINI Bitter and 1 ounce MARTINI Rosso Vermouth in an ice-filled rocks glass. Next, stir ten revolutions. Garnish with an orange slice.

I'm an Aquarius and my cocktail is a Verde Margarita. However, over the weekend I was hanging out with one of my Aries friends. Their cocktail pairing is Bloody Maria, a riff on the Bloody Mary. I never really thought about putting tequila in this brunch cocktail instead of vodka. However, it worked brilliantly. The key is using a good, pure tasting blanco or silver tequila such as PATRON.

Here is the complete list of cocktails pairings for your astrological sign, along with recipes.

Verde Margarita: Like the Verde Margarita, Aquarius' march to the beat of their own drum with a creative and eccentric exterior and a well thought out interior.

INGREDIENTS

2 oz Patrón Silver

.75 oz Citrónge Orange Liqueur

.75 oz St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur

.75 oz Fresh lime juice

.5 oz Fino Sherry

.5 oz Agave syrup

1 Lime wedge

1 Celery stick

1 Pinch salt

Celery spear & edible flower for garnish

Sugar, maldon salt & celery salt rim

Rim a highball glass with a mix of sugar, maldon salt & celery salt. Combine ingredients in a blender with crushed ice and blend until a slushy consistency is achieved. Pour contents from blender into glass.Garnish with celery spear and edible flower before a well-deserved siesta.

Silver Wings: The Silver Wings cocktail features a lovely lavender flavor that will leave any Pisces feeling centered in their wise and romantic personality.

INGREDIENTS

2 oz Patrón Silver

.5 oz Maraschino liqueur

.5 oz Lime juice

.25 oz Giffard Creme de Violette

.25 oz Monin Lavender Syrup

Combine all ingredients in a mixing tin with ice. Shake and strain up into a coupe. Garnish with a lime peel.

Bloody Maria: The Bloody Maria is a perfected classic with a spicy twist. Much like an Aries, this cocktail is powerful, bold, and always a winner.

INGREDIENTS

2 oz Patrón Silver Tequila

5 oz Bloody Mary Mix*

Lemon wedge for garnish

Celery stalk for garnish

Combine ingredients in a mixing tin or pint glass and “roll” the drink by pouring it back and forth between the two. Strain onto fresh ice in a collins glass. If you like, rim the glass with kosher salt or a specially spiced rim of your choosing.

Garnish with a lemon wedge and celery stalk.

*Bloody Mary Mix

4 oz Tomato juice

.5 oz Fresh lemon juice

Dash each of Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco

1 tsp Horseradish (optional)

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Cool Breeze: The Cool Breeze cocktail is a Taurus' dream drink to ground themselves and embrace the world around them.

INGREDIENTS

1.5 oz Patrón Silver

2 oz Sparkling water

1 oz Grapefruit juice

.75 oz Fresh lemon juice

.5 oz MARTINI Bitter

.5 oz Agave syrup

Lemon wheel for garnish

Combine all ingredients except sparkling water in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously with ice to chill. Strain onto fresh ice in a collins glass and top with sparkling water.Garnish with a lemon wheel.

Cucumber-Coconut Margarita: Just like the Celestial Twins of the Gemini, The Cucumber-Coconut Margarita brings together two flavors in one cocktail.

INGREDIENTS

1.5 oz Patrón Silver

2 oz Coconut water

.5 oz Fresh lime juice

.5 oz Simple syrup

7 Thin slices of cucumber, 3 for garnish

Combine all ingredients (including 4 of the cucumber slices) in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously with ice to chill. Strain onto fresh ice in a highball glass. Garnish with remaining 3 cucumbers.

Espresso Martini: The Espresso Martini Cocktail is the ideal sip for any Cancer sign because it blends the comfort and sophistication to have Cancers feeling their best.

INGREDIENTS

1.5 oz Patrón Silver

1.5 oz Chilled Espresso

.5 oz Demerara Syrup

1 small pinch of Sea Salt

Combine Patron Silver, chilled espresso, pinch of salt and Demerara syrup in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a cocktail coupe. Garnish with 3 coffee beans.

Spicy Margarita: The Spicy Margarita should be a staple drink for any Leo looking to embrace their fiery personality and popular status.

INGREDIENTS

1.5 oz Patrón Silver infused with jalapeño*

.5 oz Flavor puree (blood orange, mango or fresh beet)

3 oz Lime juice

Salt rim

Lime wedge and sliced jalapeño for garnish

Combine all ingredients over ice in a shaker. Shake and strain into a salt rimmed double old fashioned glass.

*Patrón Silver infused with jalapeño: Add 2 whole jalapeños cut down the middle and deseeded into 1 bottle of Patrón Silver. Let rest for 12 hours.

Perfect Pineapple Margarita: The Perfect Pineapple Margarita is just that -- perfect. Virgos are the ultimate perfectionists and deserve a perfect cocktail to match their energy.

INGREDIENTS

1.5 oz Patrón Silver

.5 oz Citrónge Orange Liqueur

1 oz Pineapple juice

.5 oz Lime juice

Tajín rim

Lime wedge for garnish

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake until combined and chilled. Strain into a Tajín-rimmed rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Silver & Soda: Libras are well-balanced individuals who enjoy the simplicities of life, which makes the Silver & Soda cocktail the perfect touch of symmetry and peace.

INGREDIENTS

2 oz Patrón Silver

3 oz Soda

Lime wedge, for garnish

Combine ingredients in an ice-filled highball glass and stir. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Green Matcha: The Green Matcha cocktail is the perfect drink for Scorpios with its unique ingredients and eye-catching aesthetic that makes it stand out from the crowd.

INGREDIENTS

1.75 oz  Patrón Silver

1.25 oz  Citrus sherbet

.5 oz Pretzel syrup

.5 g Matcha green tea

.75 oz Aquafaba

Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Garnish with a mini pretzel and a sprinkle of matcha.

Tequila Sunrise: The Tequila Sunrise is the vacation-ready cocktail for any Sagittarius looking to channel their inner wanderlust.

INGREDIENTS

2 oz Patrón Silver

4 oz Fresh orange juice

.5 oz Grenadine syrup

Orange slice for garnish

Pour Patrón Silver and orange juice into a highball glass and fill with ice. Float grenadine on surface of drink. Garnish with an orange slice.