Hey everyone...I kept thinking I'd be able to figure this one out on my own...but I'm struggling a bit.

I am hosting two other couples - the usual ones - for Valentine's day dinner. We've done this the past 3 years or so - always a great time. I like to do something kind of "fancy schmancy" and surprise them. The kids all do their own thing - I make them pizza or "make your own subs" or something like that and they watch a movie or play in the basement. was it last year that I made the little VD heart cookies with the sayings on them?

Anyway - this year we are doing a murder mystery party. no real theme - it is set in Napa Valley and the owner of a a wine estate has been murdered...all of the attendees are suspects - I am Tiny Bubbles and Scott will be Ralph Rottingrape...:-) Our other suspects are Hedy Chablis, Papa Vito, Marilyn Merlot and Otto Von Schnapps. (who I KNOW will wear his lederhosen!!!)

NOW, the challenge. Will has to play his tenor in an all county band concert that day (the only day we can have it...the 13th) at 3 PM. I'm not sure how long it will last, but I am planning on leaving the house by 2 and being gone until 5 PM.

So, I am not a good one at lots of last minute prep anyway - I panic and screw up...so I'm thinking something that can cook on its own or mostly be prepared ahead of time - but still not be hum drum.

The only thing I am thinking is that I might do a couple decadent kinds of homemade ice cream during the week before hand and just be able to scoop out. I have always wanted to do something with chocolate and hot chiles like in the movie Chocolat. In fact if we weren't doing the murder mystery, I was going to give each couple a copy of that movie and plan the dinner around the spicyness...LOL.

So for those of you that enjoy this kind of thing...i.e. planning other peoples' dinner parties - LOL - ya got any ideas for me?

Thanks!

Stacy