Editor's note: Our "Craft Corner" columnist is filling the "Chef's Table" spot this week, as her latest household tips all happen to involve food.

Last week, I offered some crock-pot recipes that I hope you enjoyed. I have decided this week to give some ideas on how to use leftovers from those dinners. I also have a delicious peanut-brittle recipe that was given to me by a very close friend of mine, Christine, who has mastered it. Each year, at the holidays, she lovingly packages it up and sends us some all the way from Louisiana. She tells me I should share this gracious gift, and I scoff at that—it has the perfect salty to sweet ratio, and besides, I share everything else. I prefer to bake a cake or cookies to offer as a distraction. I must protect the brittle; I am in battle mode. No man, woman or child shall come between me and my favorite candy. You'll see, once you make this salty-sweet delight, that you, too, will be trying to offer distractions instead of your treasured peanut-brittle. It's either that, or you can always tell them you made the recipe and it didn't come out. Tell them you're very sorry but you  had to dispose of it (in a box in the left hand side of the dresser). 

Beef Stew (from Pot Roast)

Ingredients:

Leftover beef cut up into bite size pieces

 Leftover potatoes and carrots  cut up into bite size pieces (from pot roast dinner.) If none left, 2 potatoes and 2-3 carrots

1/2 onion, 2 stalks celery

1 can diced tomatoes (if you followed my recipe for "Stewed Tomatoes" use 1 quart jar,  cut up into bite size pieces)

2-3 bouillon cubes (more or less depending on your individual taste)

Any remaining juice from pot roast dinner

Salt, pepper, thyme to taste

Directions:

In a large saucepan, saute onion and celery in 1 tbsp of canola oil until transparent.  Add in all other ingredients and let simmer on low. If you do not have enough juice to cover the beef and vegetables, then add water until the consistency is what you want. The more water, the thinner it will be and the more bouillon you will need to add. This is very versatile and easily adapted to what you have. If you have leftover pasta, rice or other vegetables in the fridge, they can be put in as well. Add salt, pepper and thyme to taste. Serve with some nice crusty bread or rolls. 

Corned Beef Hash (from Corned Beef Dinner)

Ingredients:

Leftover corned beef and potatoes

1 medium onion, diced

2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tbsp canola oil

salt, pepper, paprika, and thyme to taste

Directions:

In a hot skillet add oil, onion and garlic. Let that cook on medium until onions are transparent. While the onion is cooking, cut up the corned beef and potatoes into 1/4 inch sized pieces. Add beef and potatoes to onion mixture and over medium heat, cook until potatoes are golden brown and starting to get a crisp edge. Try not to stir too often, so the onions and garlic will caramelize and the potatoes will crisp up. This is delicious served with eggs; you can make a hole in your hash and put your eggs right in the same pan. 

Peanut Brittle

Ingredients:

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. light Karo syrup

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 c. water

1 c. cocktail peanuts

1 tbsp. butter

1 tsp. baking soda

candy thermometer

***Have all ingredients pre-measured before starting. 

Directions:

Grease a large cookie sheet and set aside. In a 2 quart pot over medium heat, bring sugar, salt and water to a boil. Stir until sugar is dissolved; once dissolved, add peanuts. Set candy thermometer in place (being sure it is not resting on the bottom of the pan) and continue cooking. Stir frequently until temperature reaches 300 degrees. Remove from heat, stir in butter and baking soda, mix well and immediately pour onto prepared cookie sheet. Once cooled break into pieces.