Wacky waffles: recipes for “Stranger Things” season two

By KAYTLYN BIDDLE

Senior Writer

Stranger Things: Review

Nostalgia is having a serious moment with 80s and 90s themed trends being revived, remade and revisited seemingly every day. Shows that ended years ago, shows based on decades long past and shows chock-full of outdated references are surfacing on every media platform, but none capture a specific time or feeling half as well as “Stranger Things.”

“Stranger Things” is a type of show that works perfectly in the exact moment of its release. A Netflix Original created by virtually two unknown brothers and child actors, could only work in this world of streaming. The Duffer brothers were given a chance to both pay homage to great 1980s classics, while still maintaining the sense of the world in that time period.

Based in the fictional Hawkins, Indiana circa 1983, the story revolves around a group of friends: Mike, Dustin and Lucas, in their search to find their missing friend. Nothing turns out to be what it seems, which the boys learn when they stumble across a lost girl in the woods who goes by the name Eleven. The story hinges on the search for the missing boy and brings everything about this quiet town, and the mysterious government facility nearby, into question.

“Stranger Things” feels like an 80s thriller, right up there with Poltergeist and Fright Night. Viewers are dragged into the world immediately with the opening scene and then there is no hope of getting out. There are no glaring mistakes, no accidental cell phones shown or too-modern furniture to pull you out of the experience.

A lot of attention was paid to getting the environment as authentic as possible, and it shows. It is difficult to pay direct attention to it, however, as the young actors absolutely steal the show. “Stranger Things” is a homage to a classic suspense thrillers and has to rely on the actors to portray that subtlety and mystery, a job that balances on the shoulders of these very young actors. They will blow you away, by the way, especially the performance by Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven. The older actors are just as intriguing, with each main adult character having their own complex story and background to bring to the table.

Now, nothing is perfect. I’m sure there are authenticity issues somewhere in the series, and no matter how brilliant the actor, there are bound to be disagreements about portrayal amongst viewers but “Stranger Things” has no reason to worry. The show has already been renewed for a third season, ahead of its second season premiere and the Duffer brothers have a four-season story already planned out.

The success of “Stranger Things” is both very clear and very much deserved. The story doesn’t suffer from either rushed or monotonous pacing. Every actor brings their full weight to their scenes. And the backdrop of 1983 is the perfect setting for the story. The hints of humor and focus on individual moments help the characters feel more realistic and remind the viewer why the story is important in different ways to each person. Exploring the themes of friendship, family, government influence and the supernatural, “Stranger Things” delivers on every expected aspect, and lives up to its name of truly depicting the stranger.

Even if you haven’t checked “Stranger Things” out yet, there is a good chance you are aware that some girl in it is obsessed with Eggo waffles. Fans of the show embraced this love for waffles and thus the memes were born. The Eggo obsession was even furthered in season two when, SPOILERS, the Eggo extravaganza is created. If you haven’t already binged the second season, or have yet to check it out, you can whip up these recipes to enjoy during your marathon.

Stranger Things: Recipes

Pizza Waffles

Ingredients:

Box of waffles

Pizza Sauce

Shredded Cheese

Your choice of toppings

Directions:

1. Toast two waffles slightly. I used a toaster oven and toasted them for about two minutes.

2. Remove the waffles from the toaster and put one to two spoonfuls of pizza sauce on the waffle. Sprinkle cheese on top of sauce and add other toppings as desired. Caution: too much sauce can cause your waffle to be soggy and not cook correctly.

3. Using the toaster oven or oven, put waffles back in for an additional 3-5 minutes. Waffles are done when the waffle can be lifted by one edge without bending in the middle.

4. Once waffles are cooked, remove and let cool for two minutes.

5. Enjoy!

   Ice Cream Waffle Sandwich

   

   Ingredients: 

   Box of waffles

   Ice cream (I used vanilla)

   Chocolate chips or sprinkles

   Directions:

   1. Toast two waffles to desired toastiness

   2. Scoop ice cream onto one waffle, making sure to cover the waffle equally

   3. Place the second waffle on top and gently press down so the ice cream just barely covers the bottom waffle

   4. Fill a bowl or plate with chocolate chips

   5. Take the ice cream sandwich and roll the edges in the chocolate chips. You may need to press the chips in a bit with your fingers if the ice cream is not soft enough.

   6. Enjoy!

      Triple Decker Eggo Extravaganza

      

      Ingredients:

      Box of waffles

      Whipped cream

      Hershey’s kisses

      Jellybeans

      M&Ms

      Directions:

      1. Toast three waffles to desired toastiness

      2. Place one waffle on a plate and cover with whipped cream

      3. Place a few candies, I used m&ms, on top of the whipped cream

      4. Place a second waffle on top of the candy and whipped cream

      5. Repeat steps two and three

      6. Place the last waffle on top

      7. Put a swirl of whipped cream on top and cover with candies. For the most accuracy, use Hershey’s kisses, jellybeans, and m&ms. Those were the candies that looked the closest to the original picture in the show.

      8. Enjoy!