Cashier Treats Customers Like Family

If you shop at the Lincoln Heights Safeway, you need little introduction to Anita. No last name necessary, Anita is well-known at this busy supermarket. She’s usually at the same checkout, No. 2, the 9-6 shift, five days a week.

Anita is regarded by many customers as an old friend, that smiling lady with the gray hair and glasses. I know, because I’ve been in the store when people have purposely chosen her checkout.

This November marks her 24th anniversary with Safeway, first at the former Lincoln Heights Shopping Center store and now at the Southeast Boulevard and 29th Avenue location.

It’s no surprise that Anita likes people.

“They become like family after a while,” she says of her customers, who fill her in on family happenings. “You become attached to them.”

Buses from local retirement centers bring in lots of seniors who seek out Anita.

“You have a lot of people you’ve waited on for a lot of years,” she says. She’s shared with people their life histories and seen the stresses spouses face as they try to take care of loved ones who can’t get around anymore. Many men, she says, are bewildered by cooking when their wives get sick.

Anita laughs about her popularity.

“We’re like a movie star, but we don’t make the money,” she says, adding that she’s often recognized outside of the store.

Anita says she could write a book about all her experiences. What I know is that this gracious, helpful woman, a real asset to Safeway, offers more to people than just groceries.

Angel-Hair Pasta With Tomato Cream Sauce

From the Sept. 16 issue of Woman’s Day magazine.

12 ounces angel-hair pasta (capellini)

1 (14-ounce) jar marinara sauce (about 1-2/3 cups)

3/4 cup frozen petite peas, not thawed

1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream

Chopped fresh basil, for garnish Bring a covered large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain.

Meanwhile, bring marinara sauce to a boil in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir in peas, cover and simmer 2 minutes or until peas are tender. Reduce heat to low, add sour cream and stir until blended. Toss pasta with sauce. Top with basil.

Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 440 calories, 7 grams fat (14 percent fat calories), 16 grams protein, 79 grams carbohydrate, 7 milligrams cholesterol, 687 milligrams sodium.

, DataTimes MEMO: The goal of Five and Fifteen is to find recipes where you can do the shopping in five minutes and the cooking in 15. Merri Lou Dobler, a registered dietitian and Spokane resident, welcomes ideas from readers. Write to Five and Fifteen, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210.

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