What is about pudding that sweeps me straight back to childhood? Mention tapioca pudding and instantly I'm standing at my mom's side in the kitchen, talking with my hands to show her -- in detail, exactly -- what happened on the playground at school when Candy grabbed the jump rope from Cheryl. She's at the stove (and maybe wearing an apron? surely not, that's so TV-commercial stereotypical, right?) stirring something in the green saucepan from the matched set purchased one piece at a time from the grocery store in town. What's in that pot? Pudding! It was one of Mom's maaaaany answers to the question, What to make when supper's a little skimpy?

So no surprise, there's a soft spot in my heart for homemade pudding, especially the old classics that require just two words to know exactly what they are: chocolate pudding, lemon pudding, banana and tapioca too. And rice pudding, of course. There may be a hundred ways to make each of these homemade puddings. But do yourself a favor and discover your own pair of pudding words that just might have your children someday remembering your standing at the stove. No apron required.

Recipes? Of course.

CHOCOLATE PUDDING
The Hungry Mouse ~ Sinfully Rich Chocolate Pudding
"When it’s warm, it’s really thick but has a more traditional pudding consistency. When it’s chilled, however…oh, oh, oh!…it almost approximates soft fudge. Or thick chocolate frosting. (Warning: A little goes a long way.)"

Baking Bites ~ Chocolate Mint Pudding
"This pudding is just a little bit of a twist on a simple chocolate pudding recipe ... it is less fussy than some pudding recipes - no tempering of eggs required - and has a slightly lighter texture than some very heavy puddings that load up on egg yolks. It still has a good chocolate flavor ..."

LEMON PUDDING
One Perfect Bite ~ Old-Fashioned Lemon Pudding
"Like most old recipes, this one is simple and quite straight forward. It is tart. ... This is a wonderful, inexpensive family dessert."

Spicy Chilly ~ Lemon Pudding

BANANA PUDDING
Honey & Jam ~ Banana Pudding
"... it doesn’t get any better than home made stove-top pudding. No instant pudding packets should be let near banana pudding, it's just not right. And it’s so easy to make it yourself, you really have no excuse."

My Wooden Spoon ~ Grandma's Homemade Banana Pudding
"This is one food that is requested from family members for me to bring to holiday get-togethers and any other time I can. It’s my grandmother’s recipe for Banana Pudding, from scratch!"

TAPIOCA PUDDING
My Everyday Kitchen ~ Coconut Tapioca Pudding
"...it is DELICIOUS!"

Simply Recipes ~ Tapioca Pudding
"... tapioca pudding is one of those comfort foods that conjures up happy childhood memories. It's actually really easy to make."

RICE PUDDING
Easy and Tasty Food ~ Caramel Rice Pudding in a Crockpot
"f you have leftover rice from Chinese take-out, this slow-cooker rice pudding is a great way to make a tasty, simple dessert."

The Naptime Chef ~ Chocolate Arborio Rice Pudding
"I decided to play with the flavors a little and give this otherwise tried-and-true dish a fresh makeover. Making this during my daughter's naptime was a cinch, especially since it stays well in the fridge for a few days."

Lucullian Delights ~ Rice Pudding with Turmeric & Almonds
"... had a vision of a turmeric rice pudding, intensely yellow and smooth and with a sweet turmeric taste. I used quite a lot of turmeric but you can reduce the amount in order to make the taste subtler if you want."

Healthy. Happy. Life. ~ Vegan Rice Pudding (brown rice & tofu)
"Rice Pudding often gets brushed off as being a bland, raisin-specked 'healthier' dessert. Well when it comes to my vegan Coco-Cinna-Nilla Rice Pudding only one of those is true: it's healthy. But it's also delicious."

And you?
And you, what's your favorite pudding? Leave a recipe or a link to a recipe in the comments!

BlogHer food editor Alanna Kellogg helped devour two batches of tapioca pudding this week (and yes, it's only Tuesday) but right this minute is pining for Light 'n' Easy Chocolate Pudding.