Hamburger & Wild Rice Soup

My choices were this ~ build an ark or make a nice pot of creamy, comforting soup.  Building an ark would have meant I would have to go get the lumber and end up out in the rain.  Making soup meant opening the refrigerator.  Soup won.  

Hamburger & Wild Rice Soup

1# extra lean ground beef, browned and lightly seasoned 
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 cups wild and long grain rice, cooked
1 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup peas
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp celery flakes
1 bay leaf
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

In a dutch oven or soup kettle, brown ground beef with salt and freshly ground pepper.  When almost cooked, add in minced garlic and finish cooking for another minute.  Add in milk, chicken broth, celery flakes, bay leaf and carrots.  Let simmer until the carrots are cooked.  Add in cooked rice and peas and let cook for 15 minutes.  Season to taste.