I decided to stock up on honey this year, so I contacted my friend and former colleague, who is a beekeeper, to see if he could give me a bucket in exchange for some garden goods. We agreed on some marmalade, pumpkin mustard, walnuts, and one batch of baked gingerbread for Christmas. And after a long pause, this year I got a gingerbread idea of my own, and I made it. I made a beehive out of gingerbread, with bees and flowers from marzipan.

© Charly, all rights reserved. Click for full size.

© Charly, all rights reserved. Click for full size.

My mom added the green leaves around the flowers after I was done with it. They did improve it, although it is still not of the same quality as my mother’s creations. And in this first part of this year’s Christmas Gingerbread posts, I am showing some of the creations she made to pay for the honey they are made from.

© Charly, all rights reserved. Click for full size.

© Charly, all rights reserved. Click for full size.

© Charly, all rights reserved. Click for full size.

© Charly, all rights reserved. Click for full size.

© Charly, all rights reserved. Click for full size.

My friend liked it, and I hope he and his family enjoy it and all the other accompanying goods. We are stocked up with honey for a year or more now, since my mother is the only person who actually uses honey for food – I can only eat it in gingerbread form.

My mother was able to enjoy her hobby a lot more this year, since the carpal tunnel surgeries were a success.