We Tried It! 3D Printed Cookie Cutters

​First, what is sourdough starter?

The reason you're seeing those aesthetic videos of sourdough starter moving around in a bowl is because, well, it’s technically alive. The starter consists of live fermented culture (wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria) created by fresh flour and water. Why is this an essential part of the sourdough bread baking process? It causes the dough to rise. And don’t get thrown off by the term “wild yeast,” because it’s pretty much found everywhere — fruits, flowers, vegetables, etc. all carry it!

But don't worry — it may seem intimidating to keep this concoction alive, but we've got you covered with one very hot tip.

​The Tip? Establish A Feeding Schedule For Your Sourdough Starter

Making a sourdough starter is approximately a seven day commitment. This can sound overwhelming, but if you stay consistent, it’s really not a hard feat! The easiest way to culture a successful starter is to establish a feeding schedule — this means adding in more fresh flour and water and allowing it to ferment for an extended period of time. You can leave it in a jar or bowl on the counter.

PSA: You Don’t Have to Make A Sourdough Starter Yourself

To the bakers out there that are still intimated by the length of time it takes to make a good sourdough starter, you actually don’t have to make it yourself. “My best tip is to go to a bakery that makes really good sourdough bread and ask to buy some of their starter,” Annie Paul, winner of Magnolia Network’s Silos Baking Competition and bakery owner of A P Baked Goods in Michigan, said.

Paul added that most bakeries have a starter that’s “years and years old and that will really improve the flavor of your bread.” Asking your local artisanal bakery not only aids small businesses but also may get you the tastiest of results. No matter which sourdough starter path you choose (homemade or bakery bought), you will not be disappointed with a warm slice of bread and butter.

Guinness S’mores Brownies

All the things you love, together at last. Guinness gets tossed into this brownie recipe with a s'mores twist for a delightfully decadent treat. (via Brit + Co)

Vegan Peppermint Brownies

This brownie recipe would be immaculate for the holiday season, but chocolate and peppermint taste amazing together year-round. Do what you will with that information. (via Brit + Co)

Nutella Brownies

Nutella gives these fancy brownies an addictive nutty finish, perfect for pairing with a cold glass of milk or even some coffee! (via Brit + Co)

Vegan Red Velvet Brownies

When red velvet flavors meet your classic brownie recipes, something magical happens. The result is obviously these stunning vegan brownies with a smattering of homemade icing! (via Brit + Co)

Slutty Brownies

There's nothing risqué about this brownie recipe... other than the fact that it's made with Oreos, cookie dough, and dulce de leche. Um, did someone say sugar rush?! (via Brit + Co)

Brownie Cake Pops

These portable brownie pops allow you to take your cravings on-the-go. Plus, you can customize 'em pretty easily with the sprinkles of your choice! (via Brit + Co)

Buttered Popcorn Crunch Brownies

Get chompin’ on these salty-sweet fancy brownies for your next movie night! The entire watch party will be pleased with how ooey-gooey they are. (via How Sweet Eats)

Mocha Brownies with Espresso Glaze

We're drooling already. Coffee and chocolate are already two of our favorite things, so when they combine, it's pure magic. (via The Original Dish)

Chewy Chocolate Drenched Peanut Butter Cornflake Crunch Fudge Brownies

Say that five times fast! This brownie recipe is perfect for bringing to a work potluck or bake sale, so you can watch as they disappear in the blink of an eye. Yum! (via Half Baked Harvest)

Red Velvet Chocolate Swirled Brownies

These over-the-top brownies earn a 10/10 for presentation. Just look at those swirls! (via Averie Cooks)

Praline Brownies

This brownie recipe is gonna satisfy every sweet tooth with two rich, distinct layers of chocolatey brownie and creamy praline topping. (via Cookies and Cups)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies

Brookies are the best dessert mashup around, since you get the best of both worlds in just one bite. Craving a little nibble of each? Look no further than these fancy brownies. (via Completely Delicious)

Rich Dark Chocolate Brownies with Flaky Sea Salt

A little sprinkling of flaky sea salt never did any harm! When paired with dark chocolate, the salt creates a wonderful flavor combo you'll come back for time and time again. (via No Eggs or Ham)

Ube Brownies

Ube (purple yam) shines so bright in this brownie recipe. It lends a sweet, almost-earthy flavor that works ridiculously well with the chocolate. (via Takes Two Eggs)

Irish Cream Cheesecake Brownies

Everybody is Irish on St. Brownie’s Day – especially if these cheesecake brownies are being served alongside some green cocktails! (via Chez Catey Lou)

Fudgy Flourless Brownies

The fact that you can pull of a flawless brownie recipe like this without any flour is astounding to us. We want a bite, stat! (via My Whole Food Life)

Vegan Biscoff Brownies

The sweet, spiced nature of Biscoff cookies just makes so much sense to mix into some over-the-top brownies. In this cake, you'll use Biscoff cookie butter to enrich the batter with the flavor! (via Earthly Provisions)

Hazelnut Tahini Brownies

Bye. We've died and gone to heaven after seeing these rich tahini brownies! (via Crowded Kitchen)

Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Brownies

These fancy brownies are a tasty callback to classic chocolate-covered strawberries, and we need a batch to feast on as soon as humanly possible. (via Give Recipe)

Double Espresso Chocolate Brownies

Wake up to the smell of freshly-baked espresso brownies! We wouldn't want our daily dose of caffeine any other way, TBH. (via Louise’s Spis)

Salted Caramel Pretzel Topped Fudgy Brownies

The crunchy miniature pretzels that sit atop these devilishly fudgy brownies balance out each bite in terms of flavor and texture, and it's a beautiful, beautiful thing. (via Averie Cooks)

Chocolate Coconut Brownies

It's like if Almond Joy turned into a decadent brownie recipe. (via Averie Cooks)

Peppermint Pattie Brownies

Alternatively, this brownie recipe is like if York peppermint patties transformed into a crazy-yummy baked good. (via How Sweet Eats)

Rocky Road Brownies

More candy for my brownies, please! These rocky road brownies boast a fantastic layer of mini marshmallows for sugary effect. (via The Kitchen Paper)

As a Power of Women honoree, Mariska was recognized in regards to her work as an advocate for sexual assault survivors. She took the stage and used her platform to discuss rape and assault conviction reversals, shining a light on the recent overturned ruling in Harvey Weinstein's landmark NYC case. Here's what she said:

Today I want to talk about reversing convictions, and more specifically I want to talk to you about how impossible it is to reverse mine. It’s impossible to reverse my conviction that survivors matter. It is impossible to reverse my conviction that what happens to us matters, and that our society must respond to survivors with a more a compassionate, holistically, deeper, and more nuanced understanding of what healing means.

It is impossible to reverse my conviction that after a trauma, survivors can reclaim lives of hope, of possibility, of audacious risk, beautiful intimacy, and glorious, glorious abundant joy. And I stand before you as evidence of that statement.

It is impossible to reverse my conviction that we must listen to survivors as experts on what justice means. It is extraordinary how little their voices are consulted, let alone incorporated, in the process of deciding how to repair harm. Justice is not a one-size-fits-all journey.

It is impossible to reverse my conviction that patriarchal impunity has to end. Patriarchal impunity is when a male-dominated system exempts perpetrators from punishment. Studies show that only 20% of all rape cases in the U.S. are reported to the police, and that between 5 and 0% of all rapes result in a guilty plea or a conviction. So why do 80% of victims not report? Because they're met with a system that grants impunity to perpetrators; a system that blames victims; a system that accepts only those victims who are experienced as "real" rape; a system that completely misunderstands the neurobiology of trauma, which causes behavior in women that doesn't fit the picture of how a "real victim" would act.

Is that change needed that victims should just pull themselves together? Just buck up and report anyway? No. No, it's the system that receives them that needs to change

It is impossible to reverse my conviction — and the conviction of my extraordinary team, The Joyful Heart — that the backlog of untested rape kits can be brought to zero; that the testing of all new kits must be mandated; that we need a statewide kit tracking system; and that survivors have the right to access the status of their kits.

It is impossible to reverse my conviction that grammar — yes, grammar — that we use when we speak about rape must change. In the sentence, "A woman is raped," there's a crime and there's a victim, but there's no perpetrator. Where's the perpetrator? Where is he? Statistically, as we know, most likely he's walking free. He's so free that he doesn't even appear in the language about the crime that he committed. Is that not extraordinary? It's extraordinary that in the very grammar, the perpetrator goes free. Reintroducing perpetrators in the language of rape will make some very unwieldy grammar, but that's the nature of change. It's unwieldy, it's messy, it's uncomfortable, but it's necessary.

Hargitay continued on in her prolific speech to describe that rape shouldn't be considered a "crime of passion" because it's "not simply the next step in the trajectory of his passion" when a man takes a consensual hookup too far and assaults a woman against her will. She stated that it's "an exercise of power," doubling down that the language we use is important.

The speech went on to address that rape is both about power and control, as a "construct" that was "built, and assembled, and reinforced over time." She noted that there are people with these positions of power — and she specifically called out those in the entertainment industry — that could make a difference and aligned themselves to victims and survivors.

After this and some other remarks, Hargitay specifically called out the Weinstein conviction reversal. She said:

I do want to say something about the Harvey Weinstein conviction, specifically about the reason that it was overturned: too many women's voices. Too many women's voices were allowed to speak. Hallelujah! Amen! I can't imagine anything more beautiful than that. The Daily podcast episode talked about how it was so risky for the prosecution to have that many women testify. Risky to let women speak? You're damn right it is!

Too many women speaking brings change. Too many women speaking shakes the establishment. Too many women means we get listened to more, and people might actually hear what we have to say. Look what happened when women started saying just two words, right? Me too — just as an example — a tidal wave of change. Me too.

And then of course, there was the response: the Me Too Movement. The backlash. The examination of whether the changes that have come are lasting, or are even positive. Of course there's a backlash! What did they expect? For women to speak repeatedly, loudly, together, with a purpose — for there to be no backlash? The backlash is evidence of how powerful those voices were, how powerful those voices ARE.

Watch Mariska Hargitay's Full Speech Here

Turns out that your TV heroes really can be your IRL heroes after all. Long live Olivia Benson! Long live Mariska Hargitay!