Thursday, August 21, 2008

Fries

I try to teach my kids the right things. I really do. Sometimes I feel, no matter what I do, that they just don't get it.

Lately Maxfield has been requesting that I put ketchup directly ON his fries. He used to want his ketchup in a nice pile next to his fries so he could dip his fries and get the proper ketchup-to-fry ratio. Just like his father.

The past few weeks he wants me to squeeze the ketchup, all willy nilly like, back and forth, directly on his french fries. Some fries have lots of ketchup and some barely have any. I don't know where he learned this behavior. Not from his mother. She likes the little pile of ketchup next to her fries also. Maybe he is just being defiant.

When you eat french fries with ketchup, do you pour the ketchup NEXT to the fries or directly ON to the fries?

56 comments:

Unknown said...

Next to. Maybe it's just a phase Maxfield is in...

Anonymous said...

next to the fries...it really bugs me when people are all willy-nilly with their ketchup!

but why doesn't it bother me to get chili cheese fries with stuff all over them?

hmmmmmmmm

Melissa

K said...

Next to! I am now worried about poor little Maxfield. ;o)

Patience said...

No No No!! You gotta put it in a tiny little bowl next to the plate of fries! It can't even be on the same plate!

Anonymous said...

Usually next to, but with the notable exception of crinkle-cut fries from a hole-in-the wall burger joint. You know, when they put the burger and fries in the red plastic basket? There's usually no room for a pile then unless you sacrifice a few fries underneath the pile.

Anonymous said...

Next to - always!

Juli said...

a little pile of ketchup sprinkled with salt and pepper!! My college roomie/best friend always squeezes ketchup right on her fries. Quite a feat when she's driving down the highway while trying not to spill her Dr Pepper. ACK!

Chris Cactus said...

I know it's totally unAmerican but I hate ketchup.

The Cluck Wagon said...

Rude - my daughter hates ketchup too, which is almost unheard of for an 8-year-old! But she loves tomatoes - go figure.

Anyway, ketchup must be in a pile or in a little cup. I love when you get those little pleated paper cups to fill with ketchup.

Never pour it on will nilly.

Anonymous said...

99.9% of the time I like a pile of ketchup. Every so often I put on fries, directly.

Hootie Mac said...

I hardly ever comment but I have such strong feelings on this subject I am compelled to reply.

Ketchup belongs in one of those little condiment cups to the side of the fries. Never ever directly on the fries. You can buy a little set of those cups-there is no excuse people for the random application of ketchup to the fries!

The ketchup in question must also be Heinz 57.

Susan said...

Absolutely next to the fries. The thought of it all over the fries just brings a messy fingers to mind.
Good luck breaking him of that!

for a different kind of girl said...

I always have a puddle of ketchup next to my fries for dunking them and my burger. I get a little panicky at the idea of having ketchup swirled atop the fries! Chaos!

Bogart said...

Next to, but if I am feeling "messy" I just spread it around...usually that is accompanied by nacho cheese sauce, chili and jalapenos...

Sorta like Nachos, but not.

Anonymous said...

always next to...otherwise soggy fries....gross

FilmFather said...

Ketchup next to the fries. You must control the fry-to-ketchup ratio. And I loathe grabbing fries with ketchup already on them and getting my fingers all ketchup-y. I'll bust out a fork if that's the case.

I agree with Circus Kelli: Maxfield's probably just going through a phase, testing his independence. He'll come around.

Ali said...

Ugh, NEVER on top! And yes, I am talking about ketchup.

Anonymous said...

I think the proper phrase is "William, Nilliam"

WILLIAM said...

I think I know funny...but "William Nilliam" That is funny.

Izzy, Emmy 'N Alexander said...

Always next to.

Lowa said...

NEXT TO!

However, do not worry too much. He is just trying new ways to do things, expanding his horizons, so to speak. It makes me shudder just thinking about putting the ketchup all willy nilly. Seriously, I am almost shaking here and my legs/arms are going weak. I am sure you feel similarly.

However, you are being a great dad and fighting through that to do this for your son! Let him figure out who HE is and try not to worry.

He may now go through a phase where he doesn't want ANY ketchup and then he may hate fries for a time. It happens, be prepared! I know you will prefer this to the ten years from now when he suddenly decides he wants nothing to do with YOU at all.

Charlotte in Pa said...

Perhaps the effort of picking up each individual fry, dipping it in ketchup, and then lifting it to his mouth is just too exhausting to him. You have to admire a boy who looks for a shortcut. He'll probably be an efficiency expert when he grows up!

That being said - I hardly ever eat fries, but if I do they get dipped in ranch salad dressing, which is ON THE SIDE!

joanna said...

Always next to. I have always been against willy-nilly ketchup ON the fries. Not sure why, but it just seems wrong.
Hopefully Maxfield will grown out of it.

G-Side Pride said...

next to is always better

princessbride said...

When I was a kid, I always squiggled it directly on my fires. It was directly related to my enjoyment of licking salty ketchup off my fingers when I was done. Now, that might be a tad unseemly so I pour it on the side.

Midlife Mommy said...

Next to the fries, of course!

Anonymous said...

Next to, always.

Unknown said...

NEXT
NEXT
NEXT

Soggy fries, ewwwwwww!

James (SeattleDad) said...

Gotta have Ranch instead, or tartar sauce! And next to, definitely

Mama D said...

Yeah, I've got all these "qualifiers" for my ketchup.

When at home, in a pile.
At a fast food joint, in a little paper cup thingy.
At a carnival or amusement park, absolutely on top, UNLESS I'm in a vinegar mood.

Oh, vinegar. That just opens up a whole new can of worms. Cider, white or malt? Spices? Leave them crispy or soak up the sour goodness?

I should probably discuss this in therapy...

Peggy said...

Next to the fries ONLY!!!
I don't even like the ketchup to prematurely touch the fries, even a little bit.

Anonymous said...

When I had ketchup with fries it was always next to, with the exception of Friendly's fries back in the day, those were big enough for the willy nilly on application.

Then I married an Englishman and was introduced to malt vinegar and salt on fries. YUM!

And Mama d????? I say, Malt vinegar, lightly sprinkled over the whole pile, so in one fry you can have a bite that's just salt and then the next bite you can have that vinegarey bite.

~moe~ said...

It's all about putting the ketchup next to the fries - they can't even touch the ketchup until they are properly dipped.

Rachel said...

Next to. Definitely next to.

I can't stand having the ketchup spread all willy-nilly over the fries. What if one of the fries gets upset because it doesn't have enough ketchup? Oh jeez.

Does he realize what he is doing to the lonely ketchup-less fries?!?!?!

Unknown said...

absolutely positively next to the fries. what happens when you go to pick up a fry and there is ketchup all over it? your fingers gets all messy, that's what.

Calla said...

Next to! That's where I put my chilli sauce (Malaysians prefer chilli sauce to ketchup) :-)

Julie said...

Next to. I say disown him. Sell him to gypsies. At the very least military school.

JP said...

It depends. At home, at McDonald's and every other restaurant ketchup is on the side. But at a sporting event or ballpark, I do the back and forth. I think it's because I've always done that and it's easier to not carry cups of ketchup from the food booths to your 2x2 seat.

Anonymous said...

AWESOME! Someone just like me! I love to pour the ketchup all over the fries. So what if you get a little ketchup on your fingers, lick it off and you get the same fry taste a second time. Yum Yum! To polite, sometimes I eat them with a fork.(then no messy fingers) Fries with ketchup poured all over! Way to go Max! Just like Mama likes them...Love you guys.

The Herrells said...

Next to!

Amazing how a little question like this gets 40 responses.

Ketchup = in a mound next to the fries, whether on the plate or in a little cup.

Malt vinegar = all over the fries and then even MORE because hubby doesn't like vinegar and the fries would be all MINE MINE MINE!!!!

Jared said...

Definitely next too. The ketchup to fry ratio has to be closely monitored. :D

Anonymous said...

No, no, no! You're all wrong! Willy-nilly squiggles across the top of the fries, then a big glob of ketchup on the side, so there's ketchup for the nekkid fries underneath!

Unknown said...

Don't do ketchup on fries... malt vinegar...and those little fellas get drowned with the vinegar! #2 choice-A1 Sauce on fries!!! Yummy!

~AirmanMom returning to her blog...

April said...

I only eat ketchup on fries if I am at a restaurant. If I go through the drive thru I prefer them plain. I don't know why. I am weird. But I do prefer the little pile. And you are not alone Bill. I too have a little ketchup rebel who wants it all over the fries. I find this behavior lewd and repulsive. But he will learn. Soggy fries suck. You can only do so much. You have to let them suffer threw a few meals of soggy fries before they come around. At least I hope that's all it takes. My God, next thing you know he's going to want ketchup on his eggs. Imagine the shame! Sitting there with your kid asking for ketchup on his eggs?? What will the neighbors think? What would his grandparents say?? Their gonna be talking about you and your rotten ketchup failing kids at the next reunion! This parenting thing is a bitch, no? I'm here for you man. Maybe we should start a support group.

Effie said...

mmmm, ketchup...

Either way works for me...if I'm feeling messy, I definitely do it Maxfield's way!

Sometimes I'll do a pile of mayo to dip in (apparently very European--my hubby's influence), and sometimes I'll just go with poutine: french canadian dish of fries with cheese curds and gravy on top...then add a touch of salt and vinegar...

...now I'm hungry..I've been up with Nadine since 3:30...I guess I'll be making hashbrowns for breakfast...

Unknown said...

Ketchup? Ew. I'm not a ketchup type of gal. However, let's just say if I did use ketchup, I would put it in a nice pile next to the fries.

Anonymous said...

both - if i feel that i need to eat with a fork, then the ketchup goes on. if i'm free enough to eat with my hands, then i'm dipping.

Dona said...

I have neither the nice pile nor the willy-nilly. When ketchup is applied in a nice line down the french fry it makes the perfect fry:ketchup ratio all the way down. Honestly, I am not THAT anal about tons of stuff. There's 147 piles of clean laundry on my bed to be folded and I sit here blogging.

Practically Joe said...

On a separate plate or next to the fries … except when my wife’s not looking then it’s … bite the fry and squirt the ketchup directly into my mouth hoping to get caught. I just love to aggravate that woman.

Autumn said...

When I was a kid, I put them all over the fries.. usually so much, you couldn't SEE the fries. As time went on, I got more sensible.

Nature Girl said...

French Fries? Ketchup? wow...I'll try to tackle this one, but I'm not too much on fries. when I do have them, I like to have a little pile of MUSTARD next to them to dip them in. Or vinegar. I only use ketchup on them if there's no mustard or vinegar available....but directly ON the fries? Put that kid in time out till he straightens up! That's just a crime! ;P

(Maxfield, when I was your age...ok, who am I kidding, I STILL like to see the stuff come out of the bottle all squiggly all over my food and watch the designs it makes. It was (is) like watching art in action..don't worry, nobody understood me either, and I turned out ok....mostly..)

Stacie

Papa Bradstein said...

Dude. Next to. Is Maxfield a communist, or what? Ha ha, just kidding, of course...but really?

Anonymous said...

No, not on. Never. That is nasty. You need to stand your ground on this. Put your foot down. They say to choose your battles, and this one is worth going to war over. If not, then what will this kid do next?

OhTheJoys said...

Next thing you know he'll have the chip & salsa ratio all screwed up.

Dr Zibbs said...

Ketchup goes on top but just on one side.

afcuddlebug said...

no. It had sprinkles in it, I don't want the ketchup with rainbow sprinkles