PETER SAGAL, HOST:
Right now, panel, it is time for you to answer some questions about this week's news. Maeve, if you cannot bear to throw out your Christmas tree, there's a new book with a fun solution to that problem. You can do what with your Christmas tree?
MAEVE HIGGINS: Can you - so you're not throwing it out. So you can just refresh it. You can grow it.
SAGAL: No, not exactly.
HIGGINS: You can recycle it.
SAGAL: In a...
HIGGINS: Make it into...
SAGAL: Not exactly. I'll give you a hint. (Singing) Oh, Christmas tree. Oh, Christmas tree. Your leaves are so tasty.
HIGGINS: You can eat it.
SAGAL: Yes.
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL, APPLAUSE)
SAGAL: You can eat your Christmas tree. The book is called "How To Eat Your Christmas Tree," which, shockingly, is not for cats. It features recipes like blue spruce ice cream and Christmas cured fish, which uses a pound and a half of pine needles from your tree. It's delicious. And when you're done with your meal, you can use the tinsel to floss.
JOEL KIM BOOSTER: Oh, my God.
HIGGINS: It sounds like the Battle of Stalingrad or something...
SAGAL: (Laughter).
HIGGINS: ...Those awful times where you had to, like, climb into a donkey's dead body.
SAGAL: (Laughter).
KIM BOOSTER: But it's perfect. It's absolutely perfect for all those people who want to eat candles.
SAGAL: Yeah.
HIGGINS: Right (laughter).
AMY DICKINSON: Right.
HIGGINS: I mean, I think - I still have my Christmas tree, so I can - I mean, I'm willing to go there. I guess it could be - you know, it's vegan. It cost me $30. And I've used it every year. But this year, I'm going to eat it.
SAGAL: Well, wait a minute.
HIGGINS: That's my promise to you.
SAGAL: You paid $35 for it. You use it every year. Is it an artificial Christmas tree?
HIGGINS: Yeah, and it's silver. It's silver-colored.
SAGAL: It's an artificial tree.
HIGGINS: Yeah.
SAGAL: I don't think you can eat those.
HIGGINS: You just said...
KIM BOOSTER: You just said...
HIGGINS: ...I can make ice cream out of it and smoked fish. Peter, don't take this away from me (laughter).
SAGAL: We just may have saved you from a terrible, terrible case of poisoning.
(SOUNDBITE OF VINCE GUARALDI TRIO'S "O TANNENBAUM")
SAGAL: Coming up, our panelists want it all for themselves in our Bluff the Listener game. Call 1-888-WAIT-WAIT to play. We'll be back in a minute with more of WAIT WAIT... DON'T TELL ME from NPR. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
