Valentine's Day is predicted to be a cool 56 degrees with a 30% chance of rain. You know what else comes in percentages? Tips for the fancy restaurant, sales tax on that high quality jewelry and the amount of pure chocolate in a dark chocolate bar.

Saturday may not be looking the sunniest, but for many girls the weather outside will have no effect on what they're feeling. A heart will always remain hot, especially when it beats with satisfaction.

And what exactly satisfies girls on Valentine's Day? Of course the most popularized gift on Cupid's day is chocolate. And most girls don't mind it, although many would prefer something more.

"It is nice to get chocolate; sometimes the simplest gifts are the sweetest. However, something else to go along with it that's thoughtful is preferred," said sophomore Brittney Moore.

Chocolate candy is a bit cliché. I would prefer a chocolate cup cake or something. Or a trip to the massage therapist" Leslie Hood

Ashley Logeman, freshman, would also choose something other than chocolate: "I would prefer something original - like a letter, a build-a-bear that he personalized, a decorated room, [or] a surprise dinner."

"I would rather just receive dinner out at a nice restaurant and flowers," said junior Caitlyn Moore, and she wasn't alone. Many other girls favored time spent with their loved ones, but only a few absolutely refused the notion of chocolate.

 As junior Katherine Newsom stated, "It may be cliché, but hey, most of us won't complain [about getting chocolate] and if we do, we're lying."

Senior Katelyn Davison proves Newsom's point in her response. She said chocolate was "definitely a great gift" and added, "what girl doesn't like chocolate?"

But with all those fancy brands out there, many boys (especially those only dating, not involved in significant relationships) may feel obligated to pay high prices for specially filled truffles or imports.

I conducted a small survey of UT college girls from all class levels to find out what kind of chocolates they liked best, and the answers may help save percentages from the grocery store receipt.

Dove Milk chocolate was the winner, along with a close tie between it being presented in a baked good or fondue. Fondue, however, took the majority of the votes. The conclusion: most girls wouldn't mind melted Dove milk chocolate...

And at South's Finest Chocolate Factory, chocolate covered strawberries sell the most during Valentine's Day, according to sales associate Beth Reese. They sell a pound of them for $17.95, a ½ pound for $9.00.

In fact, chocolate from a chocolatier came in fifth place as presentation type, with an emphasis on solid chocolate, not hollow.

I visited two different stores: Schakolad Chocolate Factory in Turkey Creek, and South's Finest Chocolate Factory on Kingston Pike.

Schakolad's location, at 10944 Parkside Drive, definitely helped boost its overall appearance. In the same general area as designer shops and steakhouses, the store gave off the feeling of natural elegance. And it was just the same on the inside.

Very neatly organized, Schakolad's overall layout and selection is inspired by the European chocolate shop style, and I can attest to that. The place was similar in assortment and overall ambiance to a German chocolate shop!

Most of the shaped chocolates stood on shelves while the truffles and individual pieces were in displays. According to the survey, girls aren't very thrilled with shaped chocolates-but this place had such a variety that one wall was filled almost completely with plastic molds. And if it's the right kind of chocolate, maybe a teddy bear, wine set, swan or heel would be charming enough to convince her otherwise.

Gerry Meisner, sales associate at Schakolad, said that most women traditionally buy milk chocolate, but that there is a "gradual turn towards dark chocolate" because of the health benefits and the "richer chocolate style". Just like Reese, he said that chocolate dipped strawberries are very popular for Valentine's Day.

He also said that the three most sold chocolates were the raspberry, dark chocolate, and cheesecake ganaches. I asked him what a "ganache" was, and he explained that they have a rich, creamy center. I bought a dark chocolate one and had it while I sat in my car. With a quality-promising snap and rich, smooth center, the absolutely delectable ganache shot my endorphins high.

The fresh taste of a small piece of their milk chocolate caused me to audibly express my delight, as I closed my eyes and reminisced about the chocolate in Germany. It was definitely high quality chocolate that left my mouth feeling silky and soft.

When I walked into South's Finest Chocolate Factory, located at 8078 Kingston Pike, Straight from the Heart was playing on the radio (ironic?), but where was the comforting smell of chocolate? There was none, but the displays were still intriguing, and the chocolate was still good. I purchased a milk chocolate piece whose sweet maple filling tasted somewhere in between butter cream and caramel. It was definitely different. South's Finest Chocolate Factory also has a location next to the Knoxville Museum of Art near World's Fair Park in downtown.

Price wise, both places shocked me with their decency-at least for what I purchased as my samples. At Schakolad, my total for three separate chocolates (the dark chocolate ganache, regular milk, regular white) was only $2.29. The receipt reads, "0.07 lb @ $30.00/lb".  I purchased two chocolate items at South's Finest (my maple cream milk chocolate and a peanut butter filled milk chocolate) for under $3. There, a 4-piece assorted box of truffles is $5.35.

Both stores said they have no specials going on.

Valentine's Day can be intimidating, but chocolate is always there to ease your mind. In the end, any offering of chocolate pleases most girls, although many still emphasize the importance of something deeper in addition to it. Boys should stay clear of those small heart shaped boxes and chocolate roses, though. A few girls liked them, but the majority didn't.

Many also expressed a want for originality, like sophomore Alexandria Nunnally who said, "Chocolate is good if it is presented in a creative, thoughtful way. I'm all about my boy being creative and seeing that he put time into his gift."

Speaking of creativity, here's food for thought (and ingesting...): Schakolad sells a jar of "Schako-Paint" (yes, chocolate paint) for $12.00. Boys and girls, just imagine. ♥