Wilde Week #17

It's been a few weeks since I've done a Wilde Week post.  Actually I haven't written one since before my company closed!  It's not because I've been super depressed and sitting around at home.  Quite the opposite, I've been really busy!  What have I been up to?  Read on, it's been a fun unemployment so far.

1. Almost right after the site shutdown, Boyfriend and I went on vacation in Morocco.  If you go to Morocco I highly recommend booking a climbing excursion in the Atlas mountains.  See how awesome and tough I look while scaling that wall!

 2. While in Morocco, you should also head out to the middle of no where!  Shockingly, I was able to get internet and GPS out in the middle of the desert.  We're living in the future!

3. The best part about being unemployed?  Weekday brunches!

4. And weekday lunches with your girlfriends.  Lunches that include massive plates of chocolate cake!

5. And the time to wait in line to see THIS GUY!

6. I'm perfecting my golf game.  Kinda.  I'm mostly terrible and can hit the ball only 120 yards.  But I wear a golf glove and look super professional.
 

7. The hot summer weather has finally arrived and we found a Dairy Queen near a park.  DQ + Park = awesome Saturday!

8. Summer in NYC is amazing.  There are so many festivals going on all through the summer that I can't be bored.  If I have a slow day, all I need to do is head to Manhattan.  Thank you NYC for keeping me entertained!

9. What have I been doing the past two weeks?  Prepping for job interviews.  Have you ever been on a scientific on-site interview?  It takes all day.  From 9am to 4pm usually.  They include meeting with just about everyone on your prospective team and giving an hour long seminar about your previous experience.  It's exhausting, but totally worth it.

Celebration Cake

Celebrate! 

It's my one month unemployment anniversary!  I'm not sure if that's reason for celebration and cake, but why not, I had all sorts of time to bake this past month.  Time is totally necessary if you are looking to make a Milkbar cake.  I'm also trying to be positive about my situation and cake helps to cheer things up.

Making this cake is quite the process.  Though it is one of the easier cakes to make from the Milkbar cookbook.  It requires you to make the cake, frosting and a birthday cake crumb.  I was able to make this cake over the course of two days, though you can finish it in one if you have all of the ingredients and tools on hand day one.  (I was waiting on amazon.com to deliver my cake collars)

There is a lot of down time when making this cake too.  I used that down time to apply for jobs and do some LinkedIn networking.  Speaking of which...  anyone out there work at a pharmaceutical company and need a medicinal chemist?  Just checking...  By now I have my resume and research summary all updated, I even have a few interviews.  Here's hoping I hear from a few more companies and that I find a place that feels like a good place to work.

Getting back to the cake (that is what this post is supposed to be about, right?), I really enjoyed the look of this cake once it was finished.  It's so cute and clean looking once you peel of the cake collars.  Who says you need frosting all over the outside of the cake?  When I took a class at the Williamsburg Milk bar location a few months ago, Tosi actually made this cake for us!  She said she preferred her cakes like this because you could see what was going on inside.  Why cover up all those layers?  I have to agree.  I'm also terrible at frosting cakes...

To celebrate my one month unemployment anniversary I had a single piece of this cake.  It's good, but not one of the best cakes I've ever made.  It does taste like a classic white birthday cake from a box.  The frosting even tastes like it's straight out of the can.  And yes, that is exactly the flavor that Tosi was going for. I believe she said it was that 'fake' flavor that she wanted.

Personally, I think I might use this cake making method for another combination of ingredients.

Banana Bread French Toast

I can't believe that it's been months since I shared a breakfast recipe!

I know exactly who is to blame, Boyfriend.  Okay, and me.  The guy I live with doesn't really care for breakfast and we usually spend our weekends at the Starbucks downtown.  Or the Panera around the corner.  Or if we're in a hurry, the Dunkin' Donuts two minutes from our apartment.  Rarely do I spend a Saturday morning frying up eggs, flipping pancakes and pouring tall glasses of orange juice.

The one positive with not having a job right now is being able to enjoy a delicious breakfast on a Tuesday morning!  Sure, I ate this French toast by myself while watching Charmed and sitting on the couch in my PJs, but that doesn't bother me!  At some point in the day I managed to take a shower and put on some real pants.  Then I had a second serving of French toast for lunch.

As long as I am unemployed, I think I'll enjoy making myself fancy breakfasts!

Moroccan Vegetable M'Hancha

Let the Moroccan food parade begin!  Today we're starting off with an appetizer, the M'hancha, or vegetable pastilla.  During our time in Marrakech, boyfriend and I signed up for a Moroccan cooking class, to learn the ways of tagine and couscous.  First we had to locate the riad within the twisting maze of the medina.  Located just off the main place, at the end of a small alley, Riad Monceau boasts a heavy door with multiple locks and a beautiful central pool.

 We were joined at the riad by two couples from the Netherlands and eight Parisian women.  There was a lot of gabbing in multiple languages going on.  I even got to practice my french a bit!  Luckily everyone spoke impeccable english while helping to teach me a little bit of culinary french and dutch.

We were in for a long day of chopping, shredding, cooking, sauteing and tangining.  Is that a word?  Maybe not an english word.  One of the most dangerous thing we cooked all day was the m'hancha, because of all the shredding involved and those dangerous box graters!  (When making this at home, the food processor is much more finger friendly.)

The m'hancha came together pretty quickly, probably because all we had to do was shred vegetables, then roll up the coils.  Our chef/instructor took care of sauteing the vegetables and baking the finished m'hanchas. It may be a whole other story when I go to make these again in my own kitchen!  Give these a try, they were deilcious!

Stitch Fix Review - My First Fix

With my recent unemployment situation, I've found myself having more time to write about non-food related things.  And I'm so excited to share this non-edible post with you today!

Have you heard of Stitch Fix?  Apparently I had been living in a bubble for the past few months because I became aware of it only a few weeks ago.  Jumping on the success of other monthly subscription boxes like Birchbox, Julep Maven and Barkbox, Stitch Fix is a monthly (or how ever often you feel) women's clothing!  Here's a little pictorial explanation of how it works, straight from their website.

Basically you fill out the extensive style profile.  Do you like classic, edgy, boho or glam?  What's your size, arm length, desired clothing shape?  Do you go out a lot or do you mostly dress for work?  It's seriously long, but the more honestly you fill it out, the better your fix will be!  You can even link up a Pinterest board with ideas for your stylist.  You also can choose how much you want to spend on each item.  I set my accessories to "the cheaper, the better" and you can choose price intervals up to $200+.

After you fill out your style profile, you may be put on a waiting list.  I think it all depends on your size.  Most people have been waiting about two weeks for their Stitch Fix invitation.  Personally, I got mine right away.  They must carry a lot of size 6?  Even though I got my invitation right away, I scheduled by first fix to arrive right after we got back from Morocco.  I wanted a little something to look forward to after coming back to the real world!  Then my company decided to go and close.

Thankfully, I'm still getting a paycheck through August, which means I didn't cancel my fix.  I needed something fun and positive to look forward to!  I was so excited the day my Stitch Fix was set to arrive, I waited patiently by my phone for the package notice to arrive.  I couldn't wait to see what my stylist had picked for me.  They had a little challenge when it came to me - I'm a girl who loves shopping that lives near New York City.  I have endless options when it comes to clothes, what would my San Fransisco stylist pick for me?  (Ooo, I have a stylist, I'm so chic)

First, the box is totally adorable.  Everything is all matchy-matchy, from the emblem on the outside of the box, the pattern on the inside and the way the clothes are wrapped up.  It's like getting a little present!  I was thrilled to open the box and see all those pretty colors!  Then it was time for a fashion show.

First out of the box was this magenta cut-out button-up tank from RD style ($58).  So pink!  Love it.  I've been looking at laser-cut tops for a while and was excited about this top.  The only problem I had with it, it's a mullet shirt - longer in the back.  Each item in the box comes with an attached styling card, just in case you're not sure how to wear your new clothes.  It came in handy when I realized I could just tack all that shirt in!  This shirt made its way into my closet.

Next up was this houndstooth print skirt from Lasome ($48).  I love everything about it, except the waistband.  The fabric was great, length perfect, print was something I really liked too, but the waist was a thin elastic band.  It felt just a bit too cheap.  I also sent back this green tiered racerback tank by Eight Sixty ($58).  I just couldn't picture where I would wear this top.  And I thought it made my chest look droopy.  It went back in the box.

This pink cinch-waist textured cotton tank from Tulle ($48) was also a disappointment.  I marked my style profile with definitely non-peasanty and I would describe this top as very peasant inspired.  Totally not me.  Great color though.

The last thing I tried on was this crochet detail belted dress from Evolution by Cyrus ($128).  I set my dress price range a bit higher than everything else, so that's why this one is a bit on the pricey side.  I absolutely loved this one!  It isn't anything that I would have picked up in a store, but wound up being my favorite piece in the box.  Thanks for pushing my fashion choices Stitch fix!  Into the closet this went...

The three items I wasn't sold on went into the pre-paid mail bag and into the blue post box down the street.  Overall my first fix was pretty good.  Three out of the five items I really liked and I was on the fence about that green top.  I almost kept everything because of the 20% discount!  I've scheduled my next fix for the end of June and added some more comments to my personal style profile.  Here's hoping for another fun fix!

Want to try out Stitch Fix and join the legions of home shoppers?  Here's a personal invitation from me!  (Total disclaimer, Stitch Fix gives me a nice referral bonus if you sign up!  Then I can buy more clothes!)

What else have I gotten?

Fix #1 - May 2013
Fix #2 - June 2013
Fix #3 - July 2013
Fix #4 - August 2013
Fix #5 - September 2013
Fix #6 - October 2013
Fix #7 - November 2013
Fix #8 - December 2013
Fix #9 - January 2014
Fix #10 - February 2014

Asian Chicken Salad

Hello everyone!  I'm back from vacation and recovered, I think.  I know, it sounds strange to be "recovered from vacation" but it's totally the truth.  Whenever Boyfriend and I come back from vacation, I feel like I need another few days off just to recuperate!  The reason is - we aren't you traditional vacation-type people.

Most people look forwards to vacation because it involves an umbrella drink (or five), a beach umbrella and some new paperbacks.  I could handle doing that too, for about two hours.  Then I want to get up and DO SOMETHING!  I either have restless leg disorder (is that still a thing??) or Adult ADHD, because I don't want to just sit around on vacation and relax.  Ask anyone, I'm not really the relaxing type.

Our trip to Morocco was anything but relaxing.  In ten days we managed to jam in all of the following...  A day in Oukaimeden rock climbing, two days in Zagora riding camels, a three-day trip to the beach for surfing lessons.  We toured the medinas of Marrakech and Casablanca and traveled on the highways, rails and tramlines of Morocco.  We ate tagines and couscous by the pound and enjoyed liters of mint tea.

Thankfully we had a direct flight home from Casablanca, I don't think I could have mustered up the energy to get on another plane after seven and a half hours sitting in coach.  Once we got home, all I wanted to eat was a big salad.  And I've been making lots of them since I managed the necessary energy to head to the grocery store!

Maybe our next vacation will be a quiet, relaxing, beach vacation...  More likely I'll plan something like that and BF will find a volcano to hike up and coral reefs to scuba dive through.

Be on the lookout over the next two weeks for Moroccan dishes and photos from our vacation!  I picked up a few tips from the locals and a beautiful Moroccan cookbook of my own.

Packing for Morocco

Today I'm posting something a little different from what I usually post.  When preparing for our trip to Morocco, I had such a hard time trying to decide what to bring with me.  What should I wear?  How much should I pack?  What is appropriate desert wear?  Boyfriend and I were going to be travelling around the country a bit and didn't want to deal with large wheelie bags.  We each packed a single small duffle bag and messenger bag and were totally prepared for our ten days in Morocco, which included rock climbing, two days in the desert, three days at the beach and touring through the city.  Here's my Moroccan packing list!

Clothes - There are two things to keep in mind about Morocco.  1.  It's very close to the equator and can get pretty hot.  2. Morocco is a Muslim country and it's best not to pack your short shorts and tube tops.  I packed for comfort and moderate modesty.  Though we did see women in all states of covered-up.  From completely robed from head to toe, to short skirts and tanks tops (mostly tourists or Casablanca girls).

2 white Gap ribbed tank tops
4 short-sleeved Old Navy tees in different colors
1 long sleeved white Gap favorite tee
1 long-sleeved workout t-shirt
1 hooded, zip-up wind breaker in a bright color
Black maxi skirt
Linen pants
Dark green cargo capri pants
Black yoga pants (for rock climbing and our night in the desert)
1 big t-shirt for sleeping
Underthings for 4 days
Scarf (I got a bright one from Target to dress up any boring outfits for venturing into the Hassan II Mosque)
Hat (I went with a straw fedora similar to this one)
TOMs shoes in burlap (comfy, so hipster, goes with everything)
Merrell shoes (lightweight and colorful!)
Teva Sandals (I really only wore these twice, at the beach)


Toiletries - Morocco is near the equator and we were spending some time in the desert, SPF was a key item in all of my toiletries!  Don't worry about soap & shampoo most hotels & riads will supply you!

Spray sunscreen (for those quick applications and your part)
Body Sunscreen - SPF 30
Face Sunscreen - SPF 30
BB Cream (for light color and more sunscreen)
Eyeliner & mascara (minimal makeup for this vacation!)
The usual stuff - deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, contact solution, etc
First Aid kit - bandages, antibiotic ointment, aspirin, antihistamine, immodium, ibuprofin, Purell

Extras - Things you might want if you head into the desert or up a mountain or to the beach.  Morocco is a land of diverse locations, where are you going to go?

Metal water bottle w/ carabiner
Tissue packs
Sunglasses
Bathing suit
Mini flashlight
iPad (for books and games and movies!)
iPhone (excellent multitasker - alarm clock, camera, map)
Cameras (I bought my Canon T3 & Sony Cybershot)
Memory cards for cameras (4GB, 8GB & 32GB)
Charging cables for your devices
Power converter (220V --> 110V)
Dropps (portable laundry detergent!  The reason why I could bring half the clothes as usual)
Snacks (we brought Clif bars, trail mix, gummy bears & peanut butter crackers)

Vicki's Travelling tips!

Here are some things that I wish we knew before we headed to Morocco!

- You will get sand in everything you bring to the desert.  Try to shake out before you go back to your Riad or hotel! 

- Load up the map on your phone once you locate some Wifi.  My iPhone was able to locate me through the GPS, even without cellular data turned on.  This was so useful in the Marrakech Medina, there are so many small streets and alleys but they all show up on Google maps!

- Stay in a Riad, but find one where you have your own bathroom.  The Riad gives you the perfect Moroccan experience, but there is nothing like enjoying a hot shower after a long day in the Medina - without walking through the building in your bathrobe.

- Packing light makes travelling through the country much easier too.  My small duffel bag fit below my seat on the bus and was easy to throw overhead on the plane & train.

- Bring clothes that you don't mind getting a little dirty, or even leaving behind.  I abandoned a few t-shirts so I could bring home some souvenirs!

- Don't worry if you forget something.  Boyfriend and I found grocery stores in Marrakech, Agadir and Casablanca.  Came in handy when I didn't like the shampoo at the Riad, I bought myself some Dove. 

- The water in Morocco won't make you sick, but a two liter bottle of water will cost you only 4 dirhams.  Less than $1 for flat or sparkling is a deal.  Personally, I supplemented my water intake with plenty of Schweppes Citron.

Have fun in Morocco!  Learn a little French and Arabic along the way!  Check out some pictures from our trip and be adventurous too!

Wilde in Morocco - A quick photo review

Boyfriend and I have returned to the States after ten days in Morocco!  We came home exhausted, a little dirty and full of new adventure.  While I finish looking through all 1300 photos from our vacation, here are a few shots to sum up the trip.

Taking a Breather

Taking a vacation right after being laid off is doing me good.  We have been too busy doing crazy Moroccan things to even have time to think about the real world!  By the time we return to the hotel each night, we fall into bed exhausted from the day.  There's no time to think What? I don't have anywhere to go when I get back to the US? Nope, it's - head meets pillow - wake up tomorrow.

I'll post more about Morocco when I return, lord knows I'll have plenty of time!  To keep your appetites at bay, here's a tasty dinner I made just before we went on vacation.  Chicken Tikka Pizzas!  After making these, I want to make all my pizzas on pitas.  I also got to use my pizza stone for the first time since I got it for Christmas.  It's just been taking up space in the oven.  The pizza stone really crisped up the pitas before I added the toppings.  Something you can do by just toasting them in the oven for a few minutes.

I've been obsessed with non-traditional pizzas, something my New York friends have called blasphemy.  Apparently pizza is Italian and I should stop putting things like BBQ sauce, garam masala and salad on top of my pizza crusts.  No way.  Pizza is just an open faced sandwich, I'm going to trash it up with all kinds of international toppings!  Maybe I'll come back and make a Moroccan pizza for you all!

Wilde Away

What does someone do when they've been laid off?  They go on vacation!  No wait, that doesn't seem like the normal thing to do.  Nonetheless, boyfriend and I are not in country right now, we are in Morocco!  In a way it's a good time to go on vacation.  It gets the mind off of the fact that I don't have anywhere to go in the morning.

Boyfriend and I are currently in the Sahara desert, riding camels around.  We got to spend the night in a Berber camp in the desert, where I saw the stars for the first time in a long time.  We have spent the past few days in Marrakech and will be moving on to Agadir tomorrow morning, where we will learn how to surf!  I'm very excited and totally frightened for my life.  The ocean is scary and I'm hoping we're surfing little baby waves.  On giant surf boards.  While wearing floaties.

Until I come back, enjoy these uh-mazing strawberry bars.  I made them just before we left, you know, in all my unemployed free time.  I really enjoyed them hot with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.  For breakfast.  Don't judge.

Disclaimer: OXO was nice enough to send me some fun fruit-related products as a part of their blogger outreach program, including the strawberry huller you see in the first image.  I used the huller to remove the hulls of the strawberries.  You can use a paring knife just as well, I like tools.

Ten things I'll miss

With the shut down of my company, I'm led to think about the things that I will miss about OSI. Of course there are always thing that we hate about work, but there are the small things that keep us coming back day after day. 

10. Location location location. Our office was right across the street from Target. Since I don't have a car, being able to walk across the street (okay, six lane highway) to get anything I needed (or didn't need. It is Target after all) was super convenient. 

9. Riding on the LIRR. Not because it's the bet train service ever. No. I liked hearing the all too often announcements that plagued the LIRR riders and made them late. We were going to start a twitter account called "LIRRexcuses" because they were always unique. 

8. Tiny Thai. Run by one of the nicest ladies ever, Jenny.  TT was a standby lunch location for us, as long as we could get there right as she opened her doors. TT is small and unless you get there at noon, you're not getting a table. After a few times visiting, Jenny had my order memorized and always brought us amazing food. 

7. Fun club activities. BF said we wasted a lot of time, but in reality we were working together and building a work community. Fun club organized a ping pong tournament, soccer match, volunteer days, a scavenger hunt, the summer picnic, Chinese new year, the fall football showdown and the end of the year holiday party.  OSI worked hard, but we knew how to have fun. 

6. Food feedback. My coworkers were my guinea pigs when it came to food. Any desserts made at home would inevitably make their way to my office and would provide sugar rushes for the chemistry department. I'm going to have to send the snacks I make during my unemployment to BFs office!  Can't go eating them all myself. I won't have any time to job hunt, I'll be at the gym the whole time. 

5. Bagel day!  Thursday is a tough day to get through because you are so close to Friday, but still a full day away. Our company made Thursday - Bagel day and it really helped us work through the end of the week. It was also a time when everyone, from every department, would come together in the lunchroom and chat. It really helped me get to know so many people I would have otherwise not seen or had interactions with. 

4. My book club an workout ladies. The book club generally didn't read the book, but the workout girls definitely worked it. Book club made us fat with fondue and sangria and the workout girls sweated with Insanity and Combat. Hopefully we can still get together and "discuss the last book." Aka - get together and gossip about life after OSI. 

3. My manager. Now I'm not trying to suck up or tease out a good recommendation. My manager helped me fit into the company from day one and guided me through all the trials and tribulations associated with being the new girl. 

2. The Dancab. We had a small group of NYC commuters an we took the Dancab to and from work everyday. Those rides were always full of laughs and fun stories. It helped make the long commute feel a little brighter. 

1. The people. My little OSI family made the long commute worth the trip. I could not have asked for a better group of people to work with at my first job. Luckily he pharma industry is small and I'll likely see many of them again. 

Goodbye OSI. 

Bittersweet Celebration

I'm settling into my unemployment quite well.  Though I'm not technically unemployed, yet.  Due to Warn Act laws in New York State, companies of a certain size must give their employees 60 days notice before they can just shut down.  So technically, I'm still employed by my company.  They just don't want me to come to work.

If only I could get paid indefinitely to not come to work, I'm quite good at this not working thing.  The house is clean, the dishes are done and all the laundry is folded.  Yesterday I got to sleep in, I headed to my 9am Crossfit class and did some grocery shopping.  I even got a pedicure, something my running weary feet loved.

It's not all fun and games though.  As much as I want to imagine this will last, I realize I only have a few months before they won't be paying me to sit at home.  I've been dusting off my resume and contacting all my friends and former advisers.  I am so thankful for all my friends and colleagues that have reached out to me.  I have had the privledge to work with some amazing people over the years, including those that I have just parted with at OSI.

I know that all my friends will come out of these sad times even stronger.  While I don't want to say that it was a good thing, the site closure, but I'm sure there are opportunities out there for all of us.  The world of pharmaceuticals is strangely tiny, I know it isn't the last time I see my friends.

This is a celebration cake.  Not of the end, but of a new beginning in my life, a new chapter.  Full of sweet, early summer peaches, and covered in tangy, sharp ginger cream cheese frosting, this cake is a little bittersweet, just like this week.  Make it for yourself.  If you're having a rough week, it will totally cheer you up.

A Wilde Day

I'm sitting here today disappointed, a but disillusioned and unemployed. You read that right, jobless. After landing what I thought was my dream job two years ago, I find myself once again looking to the future and deciding what to do next.

As some of you know, I have been working at a pharmaceutical company on long Island. That company was OSI pharmaceuticals. While I can't disclose the full details of what happened (here's the news article about the site closure) I can tell you the story of my yesterday. 

It wasn't a surprise that our company was closing.  It was just shocking how quickly everything happened yesterday. A friend of mine had just returned from his honeymoon, I'm heading out of the country on Thursday for vacation. No one expected for Monday to be their last day at work.  No one thought they would be packing up their desks and saying goodbye to colleagues and friends.  I would have savored that last ride on the LIRR if I knew it was going to be my last one.

We all emptied our offices, carried our stuff to our cars and met up at the bar across the street.  Someone at the bar must have tipped off the news, because they showed up about thirty minutes later.  Since yesterday I've received about fifty LinkedIn and Facebook requests, started polishing my resume and surfing the internet for opportunities.

Now I am on the job hunt again. I have some time to find a new position, the company was very generous with our compensation at least.  Sadly I'm a little disillusioned with the whole pharmaceutical research business. If the new model is for big Pharma to buy smaller companies and close them, I can only hope to hold a research position for five years before another layoff.  Maybe I'll see what else I can do as a PhD chemist.  Clinical or regulatory affairs, patent law, consumer products development, there are so many options, it's time to start investigating.  And making cookies.

One Year Ago: Blueberry Mallomars
Two Years Ago: Cheesecake Brownies

Apricot-packed Oatmeal Cookies

A Wilde Original

I brought these cookies to work yesterday morning.  We ate them as we commiserated after hearing the news.  Actually, I ate one for breakfast before the meeting and then another one after the meeting.  They are super delicious and filling.  Be sure to use a new bag of dried apricots, I used dried Turkish apricots from Fairway.  They are amazing.

2 sticks (16 tablespoons) butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups chopped, dried apricots
3 cups old-fashioned oatmeal

In a large bowl (I mean really large!  There is a lot of cookie dough in this recipe!), beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until fluffy.  Turn mixer to low and add eggs, one at a time.  Add vanilla and beat until combined.

In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  Slowly add the flour to the wet ingredients with the mixer on low.  Once all the flour is absorbed, add chopped apricots and mix for about ten seconds.  Add oatmeal and mix for about 30 seconds.

Line a baking sheet with parchment or a Silpat.  Scoop cookie dough with a 1/4-cup ice cream scoop and place on the baking sheet in rounded mounds.  You'll get about 15-16 cookies.  (You can make smaller cookies, just reduce your baking time)  Wrap the baking sheet with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour.  You want to dough balls solid.

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Place 5-6 cookie dough mounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake for 23-25 minutes, or until golden brown on the edges and still slightly doughy looking in the middle.  Remove from the oven and let cool completely on the baking sheet on a wire rack.

Store in an airtight container, share with your favorite friends.