National Chocolate Chip Day | JOY for Today

(Updated 4/4/2024.)

I refuse to imagine a single day that couldn't be made better by chocolate. And chocolate chips, to quote the Mr., "are a teacher's best friend." So, however you utilize your chocolate chips of joy - whether independently or in a recipe - be certain you take the time to savor them.

National Chocolate Chip Day | May 15th Annually

Chocolate Chip Day Samplings:

• Did You Know... Five things we didn't know.
• Wolfe Stew Connects To changing tastes.
• Bible Verses and Quotes Inspired by chocolate.
• Activity Suggestions Bake cookies, learn the history, research accidental inventions, brainstorm ways to use them, talk about preferences, and take on the family challenge.
  

UPCOMING HOLIDAYS:

• Dinosaur Day (May's Third Tuesday and June 1st Annually)
• World Turtle Day (May 23rd Annually)
• Memorial Day (May's Last Monday)

Did You Know:

1. Ruth Wakefield invented the chocolate chip accidentally? In the 1930's, while mixing a batch of her favorite butter drop do cookies, she realized she had no baker's chocolate. She substituted a semi-sweet chocolate bar, first breaking it into bits. What emerged was unexpected: a cookie with chocolate chunks. Now, however, we know this cookie as our beloved chocolate chip cookie (Lemelson.Mit.Edu).
2. For her invention, Wakefield was paid in chocolate? Nestle and Wakefield reached an agreement: Nestle could sell and distribute chocolate chips as long as they 1) printed Wakefield's "Toll House Cookie" recipe on the back of every chocolate chip bag and 2) provided Wakefield with all the chocolate she required as long as she lived (Lemelson.Mit.Edu).
3. Nestle Toll House is no longer the preferred producer of chocolate chips? After looking at three different review sites (saveur.com, allrecipes.com, pokpoksom.com), we noticed not one ranked Nestle Toll House as the best chocolate chip - even though it is the original.
4. Chocolate chip cookies remain America's favorite? Followed by snickerdoodle, oatmeal cookies, Moravian spice cookies, and peanut butter cookies (TasteAtlas.com).
5. Although we import the most chocolate worldwide, we do not consume the most chocolate? The United States imports just over 10% of chocolate traded worldwide, nearly 2% more than any other country (worldstopexports.com). But we don't even make the top five list of chocolate consuming countries. Switzerland comes in first (WorldAtlas.com).

Read more about Chocolate Chips:

• "Ruth Wakefield: Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies" at Lemelson-MIT

We'd Love to Know:

Which fact most interests you?

Wolfe Stew Connects

There is this eternal debate surrounding chocolate: How dark do you go? While I normally consider myself as someone who desires to let in the light (John 3:21), for the chocolate debate I go as dark as you'll let me get. The 90% range is my favorite, and I won't go lower than 70% ... unless it's my only option. 

But, to some people, this range is outrageous. After ending one of my meals with a much-anticipated piece of dark chocolate - 92% pure, with no add-ins, just the chocolate - a niece of ours noticed. (Why is it that the things you don't want them to notice, they do; while the things you wave on fire in front of their face, they don't?) 

No worries this time though, our nephew saved the day: 

"You don't want her chocolate, trust me." 

"Why not? I LOVE chocolate."

"Not this kind you won't. It's dark chocolate."

"Ewwwww! Why would you eat dark chocolate? That’s gross!" (That's right, child, keep thinking that.)

"She says it's healthy."

"Aunt E.! You don't eat chocolate to be HEALTHY!"

"Yes, child," I smiled to myself, "I do," as I tucked the remaining chocolate safely back into the refrigerator confidently knowing I won't have to share anytime soon.

I must admit though, I have not always been a fan of dark chocolate. As a child, I was in the "no chocolate club," Skittles being my candy of preference. Then, as my life developed so did my affection for chocolate. Paralleling the chocolate continuum, my first chocolate love was the Hershey's Cookies and Cream bar (white chocolate), then Almond Joy or Reese's (milk chocolate), and now dark chocolate (practically anyway it comes).

Analogously, this desire for deepening levels of chocolate saturation imitates desires for deepening levels of Jesus. Hebrews 5:14 declares, "Milk is for beginners, inexperienced in God's ways; solid food is for the mature, who have some practice in telling right from wrong." In other words, as our faith matures, we should skillfully choose the deeper more soul-satisfying nourishment when it comes to our spiritual lives. Nourishment that comes from Jesus Christ alone: "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry. And whoever believes in me will never be thirsty" (John 6:35). And the truth is, we need nourishment for the fight. What nourishment are you choosing? 

If you can benefit from learning to accurately identify the nourishment you're choosing, won't you consider joining us in our training regimen? We've crafted a GROWTH for Today Calendar with daily exercises to strengthen your battle-identifying muscle. Each day features a short, targeted activity built around learning to accurately identify your true battles. If you can grow in this area too, join us. We need you in the fight, Warrior!

We'd Love to Know:

Where on the chocolate continuum does your preference lie?

Chocolate Inspired Bible Verses and Quotes 

Verses

• "A simple meal with love is better than a feast where there is hatred." Proverbs 15:17 CEV
• "Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see - how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him." Psalm 34:8 MSG
• "So go eat your food and enjoy it; drink your wine and be happy, because that is what God wants you to do." Ecclesiastes 9:7 NCV
• "But earthly food spoils and ruins. So don't work to get that kind of food. But work to get the food that stays good and gives you eternal life. The Son of Man will give you that food. He is the only one qualified by God the Father to give it to you." John 6:27 ERV
• "So whether you eat drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." I Corinthians 10:31 NIV

Quotes

• "When no one understands you, chocolate is there." - Daniel Worona
• "Money can't buy happiness. But, it can buy chocolate, which is pretty much the same thing." -Hanako Ishii
• "Life is like chocolate: you should enjoy it piece for piece and let it slowly melt on your tongue." - Nina Sandmann
• "After about 20 years of marriage, I'm finally starting to scratch the surface of [what women want]. And I think the answer lies somewhere between conversation and chocolate." - Mel Gibson
• "All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt." - Charles M. Schulz

We'd Love to Know:

Which verse or quote are you savoring?

Chocolate Chip Day Activity Suggestions

To celebrate National Chocolate Chip Day properly, it must involve chocolate chips. We're guessing if you're here, you're ready! We're sharing our chocolate chip recipe, but also have reading, research, and brainstorming activities ready for you. So, get out those delightful morsels of chocolatey joy and prepare for learning and feasting!

Our Nephew's Suggestion:

"Mmmm! Eat cookies. Well, make them and eat them." 

Picture by our nephew.

Here's our recipe for chocolate chip cookies if you want to make them along with us. Some things I do that you, too, might want to consider:

• Soften the butter at room temperature for about an hour before you begin mixing. (If you don't plan ahead and are impatient - *raises hand - soften in the microwave at 30% power for 30 seconds.)
• Add a generous portion of vanilla. I always use a measuring spoon and pour the vanilla over the bowl until the spoon overfloweth. (Our nephew went a little overboard on this step but decided that's what made the cookies so good this time.)
• Vary the flour measurement to match your preferred texture. If you like them thin and crispy, you're going to add less flour. If you like them thick and chewy, add more. Also, the amount of flour you add will fluctuate every time you bake due to varying atmospheric conditions. Learn the dough's consistency for the cookie you like. For us, our dough is slightly sticky. So, we add less flour than the recipe suggests. 
• Add mix-ins to your liking. I almost always add more than one package of chocolate chips. Let your creative side go wild when it comes to the mix-ins. Truly the possibilities are endless. Here are some ways I've made this recipe to appease varying tastebuds:
• With no mix-ins 
• With no nuts
• White chocolate chips with macadamia nuts
• White chocolate chips with craisins
• Chocolate & peanut butter chips with peanuts
• Chocolate & white chocolate chips
• Our preferred combination: Ghiradelli's 72% cacao dark chocolate chips with walnuts or pecans. I'm drooling in anticipation.
• Switch to mixing with a spoon when you add the flour and the mix-ins. The effort you exude here is just part of the love you bake into the cookies.
• Use a spoon for scooping. Then roll into a ball and slightly flatten for consistency in size and shape.
• Consider the type of baking sheet you use. The Mr. prefers his cookies overdone, so I use a metal pan for his while I prefer mine slightly underdone, so I use a baking stone for mine. I just pop the baking stone into the oven while it's preheating and make the first round for the Mr. Then, when his cookie sheet goes in, the baking stone comes out and I'm ready to make a round for me.

Our Suggestions:

• Share Ruth Wakefield's Story with Wonderopolis.org's article. Includes:
• The Article. Short, and kid-friendly. Perfect for boosting reading skills 
• Wonder Words. Highlighted vocabulary words with definitions and a quiz option.
• Fun Facts. Three new facts not mentioned here.
• Try It Out. Links to the original Ruth Wakefield chocolate chip cookie recipe. 
• Comprehension Quiz
• Research accidental inventions with your learners.
• Vulcanized Rubber, Fireworks, and Play-Doh at Mocomi.com. More accidental inventions mentioned in the "Did You Know" section at the bottom.
• Play-Doh, Potato Chips, and Popsicles at Education.com. Includes more accidental inventions with a research template.
• Stem.org (opens a PDF) compiled twelve accidental discoveries, wrote a brief description and provided an investigation for each one. Some include a video!
• Brainstorm ways to use chocolate chips. Then, choose a favorite and do it!
• ABC brainstorming (template from Southern Science via Teachers Pay Teachers) - try to think of a way to use chocolate chips for every letter of the alphabet!
• Timed brainstorming - set a timer and have groups list ideas. When time ends, have each group share an idea from their list one at a time. Listening groups cross off repeat ideas. Challenge any questionable ideas. After sharing ends, see which group has the most unique ideas.
• My Plate Scattergories - Using USDA's My Plate graphic (English or Spanish) as your gameboard, play Scattergories! You:
• Choose a letter randomly, with online help from Random Word Generator, the 26-sided letter die from your Scattegories game, or draw the letters from a hat.
• Start a timer for 2.5 minutes.
• Record ways chocolate chips can be used in every My Plate category that begins with the chosen letter. Learners should work alone. It likely won't be something they'd want to eat. The idea is more to stretch their imagination than create a menu. 
• When the timer ends, compare results in groups. Any repeats or ideas that start with a different letter get crossed off.
• Reward one point per unique idea.

Would you rather...

• Eat chocolate chips by themselves or in a cookie?
• Visit a chocolate chip factory or a cocoa bean farm?
• Research the history of chocolate chips or write a poem about how they taste?

If you would like three "Would You Rather...?" questions for every May day, download this Wolfe Stew PowerPoint or get it (for free!) at our TPT store.

Family Challenge

Evenly distribute chocolate chips among each family member. Whenever someone does something "sweet" for you, give them one of your chocolate chips. 

We'd Love to Know: 

What's your favorite way to enjoy chocolate chips?

We’re excited to share one more day with you and wish you JOY for Today and HOPE for Tomorrow. Check in next week for...World Turtle Day!

Fighting the Good Fight with You,

Sample these related posts:

To make another kind of cookie.

To gather National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day activities.

To celebrate milk with your cookies.

To further encourage your inventors.

To meet our STEAM Team engineers.

Find even more JOY for Today in our monthly calendars, holiday, and seasonal posts.