Gas

Prices for regular unleaded gas as of Feb. 16:

Edgartown

Airport Mobil 2.699 Depot Corner 2.599

Edgartown Mobil 2.659

Oak Bluffs

deBettencourt’s 2.679

Jim’s 2.699

Vineyard Haven

Citgo 2.699

Tisbury Shell 2.769

West Tisbury

Up-Island Automotive 2.539

10 per cent discount on Sundays

Menemsha

Menemsha Texaco 2.399

Massachusetts state average (source: AAA) 1.916

Grocery Basket

This week we shopped with a New Orleans theme to help you celebrate Mardi Gras on Feb. 24. Not all the traditional Cajun and Creole food from the Crescent City is readily available in stores here, so there are some compromises. In the absence of moon pies, we substituted Mallomars or Pinwheels so you have something to throw from your parade float. We substituted lima beans for okra at Reliable. Not all stores had praline ice cream but they did have Ben & Jerry’s Karamel Sutra. Bananas Foster needs real rum but we found imitation rum extract in two stores and substituted maple extract at Reliable.

On Feb. 17 we shopped for:

Frozen shrimp (1-pound of 31/40 count)

Zatarain’s New Orleans Style dirty rice (8-ounce box)

Quaker instant grits (12-ounce box)

Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Blackened Redfish Magic seasoning (2-ounce bottle)

Frozen okra or lima beans (16-ounce box)

Tabasco sauce (2-ounce bottle)

Mallomars (8-ounce box) or Pinwheels (12-ounce box)

Pillsbury crescent rolls (8-ounce tube)

Aunt Jemima frozen pancakes (box of 12 large, or 40 minis)

Jones frozen sausage links (12-ounce box)

Ground cayenne pepper (1-ounce bottle)

Imitation rum or maple extract (1-ounce bottle)

Red delicious apples

Grade A eggs in one-dozen carton

Bananas

The total cost* before tax for each order was:

$55.13 at Reliable,

$57.96 at Stop & Shop,

$58.00 at Cronig’s without Our Island Club card, or $52.20 at Cronig’s with the card.

*Stop & Shop had Tabasco, pancakes, sausage, and rice on sale with their free frequent shopper card; sales run from Friday to Thursday. Cronig’s gives a 10 per cent discount to Our Island Club cardholders, which charges an annual fee.

These prices represent a snapshot in time only; on any date prices may vary.