Broccoli potato onion garlic corn Cheddar soup

I like to cook, a lot. Sometimes I use recipes, sometimes I don't. I don't often use recipes when I make soups or stews, I just wing it. Sometimes they work really well, sometimes they're just okay. Yesterday, I made a fantastic soup, so I thought I might record the process for prosperity.

Ingredients
broccoli stalks (coarsely chopped--approximately 1 to 1-1/2 inches thick) (2)
bay leaves (2)
potatoes (pealed and chopped) (4)
chicken broth (one Oxo package, 1 tsp of regular broth powder)
potatoes (pealed and finely chopped) (3)
onion (finely chopped) (1)
garlic cloves (thinly sliced) (5)
flour (1/8-1/4 cup)
milk powder (1/8-1/4 cup)
frozen corn (1 cup)
Cheddar cheese (grated) (1/2-3/4 cup)
other cheese (I used Tete De Moine--a type of Swiss) (1/4 cup)

Method
1) Place broccoli stalks in a large Dutch oven. Add enough water to cover the stalks (sorry this is really fuzzy--I'd guess around 1L). Add in bay leaves and simmer on low heat for 1/2 hour.
2) Add the potatoes and continue to simmer for another 1/2 hour.
3) Once the broccoli stalks are a sickly green (i.e. all the nutrients have been leeched out) remove them and the bay leaves from the stalk.
4) Mash the potatoes in the stalk water and add the chicken stalk. Add potatoes and onions. Simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.
5) Add garlic and cook for another 10 minutes.

**At this point I had to leave my apartment so I turned the stove off and let the soup cool. I worked directly with the cold soup so I have modified the method to how I think it would work if you just worked on the soup continuously.**

6) Remove approximately 1/2 cup of soup and allow it to cool completely. Add 1/8 cup of flour and 1/8 milk powder (I didn't measure this, so I'm guessing here) to the broth to make a roux. Mix thoroughly and add back into soup. More flour and milk powder may be required for your taste. Remember that you need to make a roux first, otherwise the flour and milk powder will clump in your hot soup.
7) Add frozen corn and cook until corn is heated.
8) Add in Cheddar cheese, stir until melted.
9) Add in second cheese, stir until melted.
10) Add pepper to taste.
11) Serve when hot.

I also served this soup with fresh homemade (Whole wheat with sun dried tomato and garlic) bread--very delicious (both the soup and the bread).

Ciao,

Andrea