Health Benefits of Tea

An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but what if you can not find an apple? Simple drink tea. Mmm.. not so apt one. Anyway what I was trying to tell was that drinking tea is not that bad as it is thought to be.

I can already hear cheers from all the tea lovers. Well, its true and I have some valid reasons to support it as well. But before going in those details I would like to ask you one question.

How many types of tea are there apart from Green and Black? I knew these would be the words that will spring out of your head. Any guesses?
Well let me take the responsibility of enlightening you on this. There are four main types of tea- Green Tea, Black Tea, White Tea and Oolong Tea.
Given below are some reasons to enjoy your cup of tea.
� Tea contains antioxidants which protect our bodies from the negative effects of pollution.
� The level of caffeine in a cup of tea is comparatively lesser than in a cup of coffee.
� Tea in itself does not have calories. So until to decide to add sweeteners or milk in your cup of tea it is a top calorie-free drink.

� Tea increases the metabolism rate which in turn does not allow excess fat to mount up in the body.
� It reduces cholesterol level in the body and thus trim down the chances of a heart attack.
� Tea contains fluoride which helps to fight cavities and strengthen our bones.
� Tea reduces the risk of hypertension.
� Tea is also very effective in reducing the stress hormones.
� It enhances the immune system of the body. People who drink tea are less likely to catch cold and flu.
� The amino acids present in tea helps to improve the concentration power of a person.
� The antioxidants present in tea help to reduce the risk of cancer.
� Don�t forget you can always use tea bags to get rid of puffy eyes. After all both health and beauty are important.
� Tea is also great for removing strong odors like one coming from fish.

So, now when you know about all these benefits I would suggest you to avoid adding milk and sugar in you tea. No matter how tasteless it may be but to reap all the benefits of these magical leaves you need to do it.

Online Master of Science in Nursing

Ohio University offers a master's degree in nursing that students can earn completely online. Individuals who already have a bachelor's degree in nursing will likely be drawn to a program like the one Ohio University offers. The master's degree gives students the opportunity to choose a specialty practice of nursing and qualifies individuals to be family nurse practitioners upon graduation. 

OU's online MSN, or Master of Science in Nursing, is specially designed for those who are actively working as registered nurses. There is nursing practice information that is based on evidence and case studies included in the main curriculum. 

An Emphasis on the Family

The family nurse practitioner concentration is designed to help students learn how to provide proper medical care for everyone in the family. A special emphasis on women's health is also included in the coursework as the health of the women in a family often leads to the well-being of children and other related adults.

There will also be extensive emphasis placed on the Affordable Care Act. Nurses will learn how important this act is and will encounter a number of possible scenarios in which the Affordable Care Act should be incorporated during coursework.

Education on Your Terms

The online programs allows nursing students to earn their degrees while working, as program administrators understand the demands of a nurse's schedule. It takes between 27 and 30 months for an individual to earn a master's in nursing with Ohio University's online program. All the coursework for the degree is done online, and there are clinical requirements that must be met as well. 

Ohio University boasts more than 40 years of experience when it comes to nursing education. The online degree program allows more nurses to further their education, as the virtual classroom can be accessed at the student's convenience. 

Since there have recently been updates in regulations, only nursing students who reside in the states of Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia are eligible to enter the online master's in nursing program. However, once nursing students graduate, they are not obligated to practice in these states. The university is currently working with other states in order to obtain authorization.

Do you like to colour in?

Colouring in for mindfulness and meditation is all the rage at the moment. I like to colour, but more than that I like to draw. So here's my colouring picture for today for you - I drew it while I was enjoying a relaxing cup of tea this afternoon. You can download and print the image to colour it in, or if you want the PDF come and join the Lean Green and Healthy chat group here on Facebook and you can download it from the files section.

Enjoy!
Lyndal at LGH

25,000 Facebook friends

Today isn't just any Saturday night here at LGH headquarters- tonight we have had our 25,000th friend join us on our Facebook page. WOW! Thank you everyone for spreading the word about simple eating, home cooking and living a healthy lifestyle, about moderation, balance and making changes that last. Stop dieting, stop following crazy programs and all that self torture. Love yourself, be happy and just eat real food! Share with your friends and lets keep on spreading the word! 

Lyndal
 Lean Green and Healthy

Protect Your Bones

There are telltale signs that a woman does not have enough calcium in her diet. For instance, going to the dentist might reveal an inadequate amount of calcium in a woman�s diet. If a woman can see through the edges of her teeth, it�s an indication or an inadequate amount of calcium. In addition, the dentist may inform the woman that it�s easy to drill through her teeth. There are special toothpastes that have calcium in them to help rebuild teeth; however, it is far better for a woman to take calcium internally.

It is debatable whether getting calcium from milk is beneficial. There is an argument that the protein in milk and other substances can cause calcium loss and that the body absorbs very little from what is ingested. Various vegetables and legumes can provide better sources of calcium. For instance, darky leafy greens and beans provide a good source of calcium. There are other sources of calcium that can help provide the body with an adequate source, such as Calsura products.

The body is constantly building up and breaking down bone in the body to keep a steady amount of calcium in the blood. However, past the age of 30 people experience more bone loss than what is built up. It�s important to maintain a daily amount of calcium in the diet to avoid an exorbitant amount of calcium loss. This is especially true for women. Getting educated about calcium needs and meeting those needs can save many broken bones down the road.

How To Help An Addict

If you know someone who is addicted to drugs, then you know that the drug can take over the person's life. If you care about the person, there are some ways that you can help in dealing with the recovery process.

You need to understand the addiction in order to help. Do some research on the drug so that you know what it will do to the body. Once you know what you're dealing with, you will have a better understanding of how to help the person you love. When you're talking to the person who has drugs as a part of his life, don't believe every word that is said. The person usually isn't who is talking. The drug has likely controlled the person to the point that it's a choice of family and friends or the drug. If someone is heavily addicted, he will choose the drugs, and he will lie in order to get what he needs. Some people will say that if you help them one more time, they will get clean and go to rehab. You need to see actions instead of words before you offer any more help with a place to live, a car or money.

While you are helping, you need to set boundaries. Only give emotional support instead of giving the person money to go get more drugs. When the person knows that you will always be there to support them in any way, they will continue to come back to you for any kind of support possible. When the person hits bottom and has no where to turn, you will be called. This is when you have to stick to your limits. Often, the best thing that you can do for the person so that he sees what the drug is doing is by letting him fall on his face. He needs to see how hard it is taking care of himself, buying food, clothing and paying for a place to live. When he realizes the true help he has received without being on the drugs, then he will be more willing to get help from a facility like Morningside Recovery Center.

Make the Most of Your Assets

Lately, you've lost some of your self-confidence. You want to get your sparkle back and make a statement to the world. Whether you are heading out for a job interview, trying to win the affections of that special man, or you just want to give yourself some extra attention, now is the time to make yourself a top priority. They say change is good. Give yourself a chance to change for the better.

Get a Hair Transformation
It is time to say goodbye to that tired, old hair style. Change your color and your cut. Pull out all the stops and really shake things up. Choose a picture that really makes you say wow or ask the hairdresser to give you a dazzling, new look. You can discover your full potential by simply freshening up your hair.

Liven Up Your Wardrobe
Stop wearing the same thing every week. Pick up a few, new pieces that can be interchanged with other standards in your wardrobe. Add some color to put a little pizazz in your life. Don't forget shoes and accessories to complete an outfit.

Think Fitness
You need to get active. If you already are doing some type of exercise, change it up. Join a club or find a group in your neighborhood that is out for a run. Find something that really excites you. You'll find that you will really feel good about yourself when you get in shape.

Eat Right
Take care of yourself and eat healthy foods. Drink water and get plenty of fresh produce. Low fat dairy products are good for your skin and bones. Lean proteins are best. If you want to indulge, remember portion control. You only get one go around in life. Make the best of it by choosing food that will fuel your body without packing on extra calories.

Enhance Your Body
If you feel that you have certain features that need an improvement, give them some extra help. Sometimes, all of your efforts to take care of yourself can't give you the body that you want. Learn more from a site like http://sandramcgill.ca/ for various cosmetic procedures, including a breast lift in montreal. Whether you want a subtle change or decide to really make a splash, your cosmetic surgeon can discuss all of your options.

Recipe - mini breakfast frittatas

I saw a version of these on the internet with lots of high salt ingredients like sausage and feta, and lots of processed cheese - I thought I'd try a slightly toned down healthier version. I have used a little lean bacon for flavour but you could certainly omit that if you wish.  You could also put all your vegetables in raw, I just know my son is not a fan of raw mushrooms and capsicum so cooking it with a small amount of bacon would make him more likely to eat them!




You will need:
(To make 12 frittatas - if you have a 6 muffin tray then halve the recipe or make two batches)
Fillings of your choice - I used cherry tomatoes, a handful of baby spinach, fresh mushrooms, two pieces of lean short cut bacon trimmed of extra fat, half a capsicum (bell pepper). You could use any vegetables you have in the fridge - onions, silverbeet, roasted diced sweet potato, carrots, grated zucchini, and even add leftover cooked chicken, tinned red salmon, tinned corn or asparagus - use your imagination!
12 eggs - basically one egg per muffin cup
Small amount of grated cheese
Mixed dry herbs
pepper for seasoning
a splash of milk
olive oil spray to grease your muffin tray (May not be needed if you have a silicone tray)

Grease your muffin tray with olive oil spray (or use muffin cases) and heat your oven to 200 degrees C
Dice your ingredients finely
Fry your bacon, mushrooms and capsicum in a hot pan with a little olive oil if needed and a sprinkle of mixed herbs until softened and golden. Take off the heat.





Starting with one egg per muffin cup, crack your eggs into a jug and whisk with a splash of milk. I did 6 at a time as it was easier to manage. Season your eggs with black pepper and perhaps some herbs if you wish.

In each cup of your muffin tray add some finely chopped spinach, diced tomato and the bacon/mushroom/capsicum mix until around half full. 









Carefully pour your egg mixture on the top of the vegetables. Top with a small sprinkle of grated cheese (I had run out so used a little flaked parmesan instead). If you wish you can sprinkle with sweet paprika for some extra flavour and colour.

Cook for 15-20 minutes until golden and firm.
Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes in the tray to make them easer to remove. 

These could be frozen in individual ziplock bags, or alternatively keep in a container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

For a quick balanced breakfast, zap one in the microwave for 30 seconds,  and team with a piece of fruit or a slice of grainy toast for low GI carbohydrate energy.  These would also be great cold in a lunchbox.

Bon appetit!

Lyndal @ Lean Green and Healthy

Cashew Caramel Cookies

It’s a new school year and we have a new rule in our house.  This rule has to do with treats in lunch boxes.  Although my children have been in some kind of school since they were three years old, I am relatively new to the whole packing-a-lunch thing.  The preschool that Spencer goes to, which is the same one that Graham attended, serves the kids a hot lunch every day.  So in preschool days, I only pack a lunch when there is a field trip.  Packing a lunch – having a lunchbox, getting to drink juice at lunch, my food instead of the school’s – is special for Spencer just as it was for Graham.  I started a tradition in Graham’s first year of  preschool – including a special treat in his lunchbox.  That treat, when packed lunch was something that happened without regularity, was a chocolate kiss.
Once Graham started kindergarten last fall, I wanted to keep up the treat tradition.  As a child, I remember looking forward to lunch even in first grade, and I know my little foodie first grader is the same.  For the first few months of kindergarten, I stuck with the chocolate kiss.  Then, after Halloween, it was a piece of his Halloween candy.  And then Valentine’s Day candy.  And then Easter candy.  And then whatever candy we had lying around the house.  Now, I am fine with my kids eating candy.  I ate candy as a kid and I turned out all right.  But when I would offer him a homemade cookie as a treat and he chose some disgusting artificially flavored and colored thing instead, my feelings got hurt.
Hence the new rule.  It is hereby declared that all treats in lunch boxes must be homemade.  I will relent for a few weeks after Halloween because it is a BIG DEAL for my kids (most kids) but then it’s back to homemade.  I know, for us adults being force to bring a homemade cookie is hardly a hardship but for a 6¾ year-old, it might take some getting used to.

When Randy started his new job in January, I decided to send him in with treats every week.  I was good for the first couple months and then as my classes started getting busier I just couldn’t fit it in.  So it is now my hope that I can combine the lunchbox treat for Graham and the office treat for Randy and still have a few left over for Mommy.
I have a lot of baking books.  And yet, I can sometimes find making cookies uninspiring.  I look at recipes and my thinking is, “yep, seen this all before”, so I resort to tried and true favorites.  There is nothing wrong with those favorites but when I am feeling stuck, I often turn to Martha Stewart’s Cookies.
These cookies could easily fall into the “look pretty but taste boring” category.  But they don’t.  Cashews play a role in one of my all-time favorite cookies and they are wonderful here as well.  There are chunks throughout but you also purée some down with a bit of oil to make your own cashew butter.  The chunks and the butter, combined with the caramel drizzle on top, make for an addictive cookie.  These guys are sticky though.  I made them small so that I would get a large yield and they kind of wanted to just all stick together in one massive cookie.  I’m a little tired these days and finding a plastic container where I could lay them between layers of waxed paper seemed like a little too much effort.  Hence, they went to work with Randy in a foil-wrapped cookie ball and they are sitting in my cookie jar en masse.  You’ve been warned.

One Year Ago:  Cranberry Bean Soup with Farro and Fresh Tomatoes
Two Years Ago:  Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing and Holly B’s Cappucino Bars
Three Years Ago:  White Beans with Tomatoes and Sage

Cashew Caramel Cookies
Martha Stewart’s Cookies
Makes about 3 dozen
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. coarse salt
2½ cups roasted salted cashews
2 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. canola oil
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
24 soft caramel candy cubes (7 ounces)
¼ cup heavy cream
Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Sift together flour and salt.  Coarsely chop 1 cup cashews; set aside.  Process remaining 1½ cups cashews in a food processor until finely chopped.  Pour in oil; process until creamy, about 2 minutes.
Put cashew mixture, butter, and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Mix in egg and vanilla.  Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture and reserved chopped cashews.
Using a 1½-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart.  Bake 6 minutes; gently flatten cookies  Bake until bottoms are golden, 6 to 7 minutes more.  Let cool on sheets on wire racks.
Melt caramels with cream in a saucepan over low heat, stirring.  Let cool a bit.  Using a spoon, drizzle caramel over cookies; let set.  Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature in single layers up to 3 days.

Spice Crispies

Sometimes when I am at my cooking maximum, I somehow find the energy to add one more thing.  I’m tapped, I’m tired, I’m starting to make stupid mistakes, and then I see something that sparks me – makes me perk up.  I somehow find time to squeeze in this one more thing even though that bit of time could be of more value in other ways.  And sometimes there is pay off, even though it may not seem that way at first.
What am I talking about?  Well, this has been quite a week for me and it’s not over yet.  I taught classes Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and today I will be spending the entire day in the kitchen prepping lunch for tomorrow’s yoga retreat on Bainbridge Island.  Everything has to be done today because I take a 7:55am ferry over there tomorrow.  Normally, I spend a couple of days prepping but because of all the teaching, everything will be compressed into one day.  Did I mention that my husband has been out of town?  Yes, that too.  I’m getting through by literally taking one day at a time.  I can’t even think about the next project until I finish the current one.  Nothing that can’t be used that very day gets made or done.  Stay Focused Dana has been my mantra.

So yesterday, precisely 40 minutes before I had to leave to pick up my children, precisely 2 hours before my students started knocking on my door, with precisely 57 different dishes in the sink or scattered around the counter, I decided to make Spice Crispies.  The recipe caught my eye as I was making my favorite Chex Mix and suddenly, I was overtaken with the urge to create yet more dirty dishes and food.
Fast as lightning, I preheated the oven, gathered ingredients, poured, sautéed, stirred, scraped, baked, washed, wiped, and as I was cursing myself because now I was even more behind than I had been before, a most amazing smell started wafting from my oven.  I pulled the tray out, whisked it off to the dining room for a quick photo in the fading light, and took a taste.  Weird.  Interesting.  Not sure.  Waste of time?  Maybe.  And then off to finish out my evening, the Spice Crispies all but forgotten.

After the class and after the clean-up was over, I remembered that I had stashed the tray in our study and a miraculous thing happened while they cooled completely and set up.  These little clusters of cereal and spice had become something totally addictive and truly tasty.  Even the raisins, which had become hard little nuggets, kind of like what happens to them in oatmeal raisin cookies, had their own unique appeal.  I have a feeling that I am going to get a lot of questions about this little snack mix this weekend – it is intriguing.  I wish I had the time to come up with beautiful metaphors describing the unusual yet delicious flavors in this snack, but I have a task list a mile long for today.  Just trust me when I say that I really should be doing 100 other things rather than writing this post and yet, here I am doing just that.  Have a great weekend.

One Year Ago:  Roasted Tomato Salad with Croutons, Meyer Lemon Risotto Cakes
Two Years Ago:  Chickpea, Chard, and Couscous Soup, Soba Noodles with Crispy Tofu and Vegetables
Three Years Ago:  Orange Pound Cake

Spice Crispies
Adapted from Food & Wine
Makes about 4 cups
If you want to keep the raisins from getting totally crunchy, I imagine you could add them half way through the baking time.
2 cups Rice Krispies or other puffed rice cereal (2 ounces)
¼ cup salted roasted cashews
¼ cup salted roasted peanuts
¼ cup wide coconut flakes
¼ cup raisins
3 tbsp. peanut oil
1 tsp. yellow mustard seeds (DT:  I used brown)
½ tsp. fennel seeds
½ tsp. cumin seeds
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper
4 large fresh bay leaves (DT:  I used dried)
3 tbsp. light corn syrup
Juice of half a lemon
½ tsp. kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 325ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a large bowl, toss the rice cereal with the cashews, peanuts, coconut flakes, and raisins.
In a small saucepan, heat the oil until shimmering.  Add the mustard seeds and cook over moderately high heat until they begin to pop, about 1 minute.  Add the fennel and cumin seeds, crushed red pepper, and bay leaves and toast, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minutes.  Add the corn syrup, lemon juice, and salt and bring to a boil.  Drizzle the hot syrup over the cereal over the cereal and nuts and toss with a spoon until evenly coated.
Spread the mixture on the baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the nuts are golden.  Let cool; discard the bay leaves.
(Can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.)

Sweet Winter Slaw

There are certain things you can count on in life.  The sun will rise, the sun will set.  You will pay taxes.  Unless you have the stomach flu, you will be hungry at some point today.  You know how it goes.  There are also certain things you can count on here on the Dana Treat site.  There will be vegetarian food, there will be chocolate, and about every three months, there will be talk of a Bainbridge yoga retreat.
It is hard for both Jen and me to believe, but May will be our three year anniversary of doing these retreats together.  If you are new here, Bainbridge Island is a magical haven just across Puget Sound from Seattle.  There is a ferry that takes you from our downtown waterfront to the island in about 35 minutes.  My friend Jen, who I have known since 7th grade, lives there and teaches yoga in a studio on her property.  Over three years ago, she told me about her dream of quarterly day-long retreats.  She asked if I would want to partner with her four times a year.  She would provide the space, the yoga instruction, someone to guide meditation or other exercise, and I would make lunch for everyone.  I love Jen.  She is one of my closest friends.  I wanted to help and I also wanted to participate.

So in May of 2009, we launched.  It took me a few retreats to figure out how to get everything done the day before so I could actually participate in the morning yoga session.  Now it goes a little something like this.  I take a 7:55am ferry to the island, drive to Jen’s house, and then spend the time before the 9:30am start unloading my car and getting the kitchen set up.  I find a spot for my mat and towel in the studio and after a short intro of the retreat’s theme (this time it was nourishment), the hot yoga portion starts.  I don’t practice hot yoga at home but I really love doing it on occasion.  Jen is a dear friend of mine but believe me when I tell you that she is a most incredible instructor.  Her own practice is so strong and such a part of her that she teaches from a place of curiosity, experience, and joy.  She talks like a normal person and wherever she takes you, you want to go.  One of my favorite things she said this time was, “Starve the negativity.  If you don’t feed it, it can’t survive”.  Another, while we were in a challenging pose, “If you are talking to yourself in your head right now, make sure you are saying something nice”.

At the end of the hot yoga portion, people take a bathroom and water break before a meditation portion, and I book it up to the house for a quick shower and to set up the lunch.  People are starving by the time they get to me, so I have learned to have nibbles out and at the ready in case I am still putting the finishing touches on the food.  I’ve made a completely different lunch every retreat.  I’m proud of that.  People are incredibly grateful for the food and I love spending the time getting to know this amazing community better.
There is always a little downtime after lunch, so I usually chat or start on the clean up.  Some people take a walk, some find a nook and read a book.  Before we all know it, it’s time for the second yoga class of the day.  Our tummies are gurgling a bit and we are all sleepy so it is to Jen’s immense credit that she can get us back in the studio and back in downward dog.  Before we know it, we are back in the flow – just hard enough to make it exciting but not so hard that we regret taking a second cookie.  It is an invigorating end to an amazing day.  I have cried at almost every one of these retreats and I am not a crier.  It is so incredible to take a day to yourself, to spend it with a dear friend, to do the work in yoga, to immerse yourself in an amazing community, to be surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty, and to eat wonderful and healthy food (if I do say so myself).  At the end of it all, you wait for a ferry, book and flashlight in hand, and commute back home on the water.  Even the coming and going is magical.

Now that most of these people know me and many read my blog, they always want to know which dishes I’ve made are either on my blog or will be posted there soon.  I got many questions about the chocolate chip cookies of course.  People were also crazy for this winter slaw.  I’m not surprised.  I taught this slaw twice last week in classes.  It comes from our good friend Plenty and it totally changed my opinion about slaws.  Like many, I’m not a coleslaw fan because mayo is not my friend, but I haven’t ever really liked any slaw I have made or tried.  I’m in love with this one.  Two different types of cabbage, some buttery sweet nuts, sweet mango, and a bit of kick from a red chiles make this an intoxicating slaw.  There are also lots of herbs and a dressing you will want to make a double batch of and use for many different things.  I tweaked.  Cashews instead of macadamia nuts, no papaya (those things freak me out), more green cabbage, more herbs.  My recipe below reflects those changes.

As if the flavors and the color were not enough to recommend this slaw, I will tell you this.  It keeps well.  I can’t think of another salad or salad type thing that I would want to eat a day after, or even an hour after, it has been dressed.  But we munched on this one happily two days after I made it.  Even the nuts were still crunchy!  Finally, this is not a slaw you want to underdress.  I am usually very sensitive about too much dressing on my salads or salad type things, but if you don’t use enough dressing on this one, it’s a little hard to choke down.  That red cabbage needs a good soaking.

One Year Ago:  Simply Sweet Diamints and Spicy Pasta with Broccoli and Cauliflower
Two Years Ago:  White Bean Dip and Caramel Cake
Three Years Ago:  Guacamole

Sweet Winter Slaw
Adapted from Plenty
Serves 6-8
Dressing
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 lemongrass stalk, chopped
3 tbsp. maple syrup
2 tbsp. roasted sesame oil
1 tbsp. soy sauce
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
4 tbsp. canola oil
Slaw
1 tbsp. butter
¾ cup raw cashews
2 tbsp. sugar
Pinch of kosher salt
½ a head Savoy cabbage, finely shredded
½ a head red cabbage, finely shredded
2 medium mangoes, peeled and cut into thin strips
1 fresh red chile, deseeded and finely chopped
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
¼ cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
First, make the dressing.  Place all the ingredients, except the sesame oil and canola oil, in a small saucepan and reduce over medium-high heat for 5-10 minutes, or until thick and syrupy.  Remove from the heat.  Once cooled down, strain the sauce into a bowl and whisk in the oils.  Set aside.  (Dressing can be made up to one week in advance.  Store in the refrigerator.)
Melt the butter in a small saucepan or sauté pan over medium heat.  Add the cashews and toast them, shaking the pan frequently until they start to brown.  Sprinkle on the sugar and stir constantly until the sugar is melted and starting to turn brown.  Scrape the mixture out onto a sheet of parchment paper and allow to cool and harden.  Chop coarsely.
Place the shredded cabbage in a large mixing bowl with the rest of the salad ingredients, including the nuts.  Add the dressing and toss together.  Taste and add more salt if necessary.