Homemade Bread Bowls & Soup

I've never understood why fall and soup go hand-in-hand so well. I used to think it was because it was always chilly outside and you come in and think 'burrrr, man it sure it cold out there, I wish someone would make me a big pot of delicious soup that I could heat my starving belly up with' but then you come inside and there isn't a heaping pot of warm, delicious, mouth watering soup on the stove and you're still cold. Now your stomach hates you because you tricked it into thinking it was going to have liquid hot deliciousness inside of it but you forgot to add that you grew up with someone that skills didn't quite go hand-in-hand with cooking. She made up for it in other ways, my mother. I now theme many situations to the tune of 'How Much is That Doggie in the Window' *ruff ruff*. I have the image of cats eating my mothers goldfish when she was a small child every time I look at my own cat, and she taught me to never treat your children as though you have a favorite, but clearly have a favorite nonetheless. (it's clearly me) Now, I'm not quite sure how I always get on the topic of myself, oh yeah, because I'm so awesome, it's easily done of course. What is equally awesome was the amazing, hot, delicious pot of soup I made this Sunday.

I wasn't so thrilled with this photo either, but it tasted so good, who needs quality photos? The bread bowls turned out okay, my husband really liked them, but he smokes so I claim he can't really taste anything, and he doesn't have the smartest of taste buds to begin with. The bread was just too dense for me, I'm not sure if I just didn't let it rise enough before I baked it or what but I was slightly disappointed, therefore I won't bother posting the recipe, it was a fairly simply bread recipe anyway, so find your own! The soup recipe I based off of an Oktoberfest Lager soup I liked on FoodGawker.com but there isn't anywhere around here to get decent lager, not that I have any clue on lager and when I expressed this to my husband, he suggested I put one of his watered down American bottles of piss in it in which I was so greatly insulted I almost fell over into my steaming pot of soup and died. I also get my dramatics from my mother. Now, for the recipe, which I will definitely be making again, and might I add the leftover soup the second day was even better (which is usually the case with homemade soup) Mmm.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
14 oz. beer smoked sausage
1/2 head cabbage (thinly sliced)
1 onion (thinly sliced)
4 large russet potatoes cubed
(I left the skin on)
1 1/2 tsp. black pepper
5 cups hot chicken stock
3 gloves garlic minced
1 cup milk
2 tbsp flour

Directions:
Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Add sausage and allow the brown. Add onions until carmelized and tender. Add cabbage and allow to soften and take in flavors. Add garlic and allow to cook for 3 minutes or until it has cooked down. Add hot chicken stock, pepper, and milk and potatoes. I wanted to thicken my soup up a bit so I mixed 2 tbsp of flour with water before adding it to the pot, it thickened it just a bit, however if you like a really thick dense soup I would add 2-4 more tbsp flour. Allow pot to come to a boil before reducing heat to simmer. Soup is ready once potatoes are cooked through and soft, however, soup is always better the longer it simmers, in my expert opinion!