If you’re reading this, chances are you’re already well-aware of Trapit’s handy reading list feature. In case you’re scratching your head, check out the little Trapit icon when you tap the bookmark icon on your iPad. I use the reading list all the time to save things, mostly recipes or DIY projects that I might want to try at some point down the road. It’s a great feature, but I have been on a mission to cook more healthy recipes lately, and I wanted a place where i could save the recipes that I find via Trapit, but also make notes for grocery lists and even save helpful videos or other tidbits from around the web. Lucky for me, Trapit has easy sharing to Evernote, the perfect tool to help me get and stay organized.

Read More

I recall the first time I stepped inside an Ikea superstore like it was yesterday. I found myself mesmerized by the sophisticated operation at work. Human sweat was virtually nowhere to be found. Machines with robotic arms from the warehouse rafters to the floor were stacking, arranging and hauling like it was nothing. There was something profound about this sense of effortlessness becoming our future and ever since that moment I’ve been addicted to learning more about what machines could do next. Enter: Additive Manufacturing, or you may know it as 3D Printing.

Read More

It’s a passion that grips nearly us all at some point in our lives: a book series, television show, or movie franchise that we simply cannot get enough of! Whether it was trading old bootleg VHS tapes of Dr. Who, scavenging through the aisles at Toys R Us for the latest Star Wars lightsaber, or planning your vacation to the Harry Potter theme park, there’s nothing more liberating than openly admitting and celebrating your membership in a fandom, no matter how out-of-the-mainstream it is.

Even if you’re a 34-year-old man who’s absolutely delighted by a television show geared towards 7-year-old girls.

Read More

Full Recipe: Lemongrass Shrimp Banh Mi
Discovered in: My “Seafood Recipes” Trap
About the blog: Seasaltwithfood is all about taking readers on a “journey beyond delicious Asian gastronomic delights.” Forget a traditional index with nothing but recipe titles, Angie Tee would rather show you and let the food speak for itself, Pinterest style (click here at your own risk, deliciousness overload).
Reason we picked it: I wanted to treat my mom to a fabulous Mother’s Day gift and I figure a surprise home-cooked meal is the perfect way to reciprocate love and appreciation for the decades of her doing so for me. In search of a unique dish, I wanted to find something we’d both mutually endorse and an entree with shrimp never requires a compromise. Introducing her to the Banh Mi craze that is hot in our city right now seemed like a win-win decision.
What you’ll need:

The Banh Mi breakdown:

• Shrimp, shelled, and tail-off
• Lemongrass stalks, finely chopped
• Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
• Fish Sauce
• Sugar
• Chili Flakes
• Sea Salt
• Peanut Oil, for frying shrimp
• Vietnamese-Style Baguettes
• Cilantro
• Green Chilies, sliced
• Mayonnaise
• Asian Coleslaw [see below]

The ‘Slaw

• Mix Slaw (green & red cabbage, carrot)
• Red onion, finely chopped
• Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
• Bird’s Eye Chilies, chopped
• Rice Wine Vinegar
• Fish Sauce
• Sea Salt

Read More

Looking for a new job or networking? Did you know Trapit’s iPad app has integrated LinkedIn sharing that makes building and maintaining a vibrant career network a breeze? 

If you’re anything like me you’ve probably already got some career related Traps. My information science and my information literacy traps provide plenty of articles and posts of interest to my particular career network. Whatever your career interests, Trapit will discover interesting gems sure to impress your colleagues.  

To share to LinkedIn simply click the share icon in any view of the app, select the LinkedIn icon, authenticate with your LinkedIn account, add your custom message (remember, LinkedIn now supports “@” to members and companies), click send and voila, instant karma from fellow job seekers or impress that potential new employer. 

While LinkedIn share is a snap, sometimes during Sunday morning coffee-and-read-time I find too many awesome discoveries to share all at once (nothing worse than blasting your potential new boss with content overload). Not a problem. Use Trapit’s handy buffer integration spare yourself that faux pas. 

Buffer automatically spaces out your shares overtime so you can maintain a healthy presence without annoying anyone and make sure your best discoveries don’t get lost in the shuffle. 

Cinco de Mayo is almost here, and what better way to celebrate than by cooking up some delicious mexican-inspired food? I’m a big fan of mexican food - it’s one of those things that always sounds tasty no matter the situation. But for a Cinco de Mayo celebration it’s fun to go a little above and beyond a veggie fajita or cheesy quesadilla. Luckily the Cinco de Mayo Trap has plenty of inspiration.

Since I’m not a meat-eater I might try whipping up some of these Creamy Tortilla Soup Enchiladas, yum! And for the carnivores out there, I thought that these BBQ Pulled Pork Taquitos look like a fun twist on a mexican classic. If you’re trying to stick to a healthy diet, you can check out these tips for keeping things light at your fiesta.

And of course, don’t forget drinks and dessert. I’m all for a classic lime margarita, but this blood orange version would be fun to try. Sticking with the margarita theme, I like the looks of this Frozen Margarita Tart that is made a little healthier by using greek yogurt.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Kelly

I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay

After 12 solid seasons as a professional basketball player, Jason Collins went public with his announcement through an eloquently written essay about his sexuality, published in Sports Illustrated Monday. No longer willing to live a “mask on, mask off” type of lifestyle in-and-out of the public eye, Collins became the first active male player in a major American professional team sport to come out, revealing he is gay.

After sifting through the LGBT Sports Trap’s content the past few days, it is quite clear that the outpouring of praise and support for Collins’ decision far outweighs the voices of opposition and talking head naysayers brushing off the topic. Even President Barack Obama spoke out that he couldn’t be prouder of Collins and the steps the LGBT community have taken, serving as an example of “one of the extraordinary measures of progress that we’ve seen in this country.” Obama wasn’t the only one with shoutouts for Collins (Bill Clinton, Martina Navratilova, Ellen and her entire audience, Kerri Walsh, Joe Kennedy, Tommy Wingel, etc).

When Collins—the free agent seven-foot center—finds a spot on an NBA roster this fall, he won’t have to be the lone gay athlete out there with skills and performance on display. To name a few, top draft-pick selection Brittney Griner will take the court in the WNBA; recently out U.S. soccer star Robbie Rogers appears to have flipped a 180 on his retirement plans, after being spotted working out for the Los Angeles Galaxy; “proud man” Orlando Cruz will continue lacing up his boxing gloves on a quest for a world title shot.

Read Collins’ essay in full  and follow the LGBT Sports Trap as the conversation continues.

-Geoff

When I explored Trapit I was fascinated at how easy and intuitive it was; I was feeling like an expert in no time!

Location: Roanoke, VA
Occupation: Professor & Chair, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine; Pediatrician-in-Chief, Carilion Clinic Children’s Hospital
Websites: Alice’s Carilion Clinic Blog, @CloseToHomeMD on Twitter
Favorite Wildlife: Birds

Q: You came from very humble beginnings in Brooklyn, NY, to have an incredibly successful career in medicine. How did you first discover your interest in medicine?

There were a couple of related events. The first was when my father died, when I was nine years old. At some point after he passed away, I remember coming out of my bedroom, and looking at my mom, and she was trying to figure out how to write a check and how to balance a checkbook. And she was crying.

And I sat there, and I said, somewhere inside of me, that this was not going to happen to me. I think that gave me the desire to become self-sufficient, to value my education, and to go forward with the mindset that I was going to rely on myself.

I also remember when I was in highschool, I volunteered at Coney Island hospital. I was volunteering at an ER when they were responding to a cardiac arrest. And the doctors were working on some poor man they had brought in, and they were unsuccessful. Afterwards, they just walked away, with the attitude “you win some, you lose some.” And I wondered if they treated my Dad like that when he was brought in, or if there was someone there who really cared. And that’s what I think really set the stage for the person I was going to become.

Read More

Last month I made a taxing decision. To patch up one of the many holes in my pocket, I cancelled my Netflix account, throwing a wrench in my habitual late night ipad streaming sessions. The night owl in me hasn’t been too thrilled of the decision, but fortunately I found a great way to use Trapit to reel in fresh, fascinating videos at no cost. As my brain steadily powers down for the night, here’s what I’ve been learning in my brand new “Time-Lapse” technology Trap.

When I initially plugged in the keywords “Time-Lapse” I had the epic Planet Earth series in mind. I wanted to see how today’s photographers and filmmakers were toying with the techniques of capturing a delicately slow process in nature and speeding it up for viewers to watch scenery transform at a warp speed pace. Right off the bat, the Trap was digging up gold—I even went on a few Google Street road trips for starters. Picture rugged New Zealand landscapes with tangerine sunsets bleeding away, “polar spirits” dancing amongst the Northern Lights in Norway/Finland/Sweden, and my personal favorite, London artist Toby Lockerbie’s passion to film in the dark.

Read More

Starting a business, I don’t have the time to create my own content (e.g. blogging), so I use Trapit as a way to connect with my followers and to quickly find interesting articles, recipes, or just general fun foodieness.

Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Occupation: Founder of Cravin’ Pie
Favorite Traps: Pie, Locavore, Chocolate, & Blueberries

What led you to make a career change and start your own business?

My first career was as a hairdresser and included competing, teaching, and creating trends for the industry. Eleven years ago this month I retired to be a stay-at-home mom. As our youngest grew and was getting closer to school age I started to ask myself “What am I going to be when I grow up?”

Being home full-time for so many years allowed me to really dive into my love of cooking. I would take the kids to the library and along with their books I would check out stacks of cookbooks for myself. My father’s family is from Arkansas, and all of those southern comfort foods and flavors find their way into my cooking frequently. I have the fondest family memories gathered around piles and plates full of food. My paternal grandmother, Flossie always made chocolate fried pies. My oldest son Nick always wanted them for his birthday and eventually my husband and I started dreaming about one day having our pies in the Minnesota State Fair. So for several years I’ve been tweaking the recipe and force feeding my friends and family all the time, insisting on ‘honest’ feedback.

Read More